Updated February 2, 2023, in the wake of disastrous winter weather in Wyoming, Texas and elsewhere around the country. This story's original publication followed the events described in January of 2017.
Commentary flooded in following driver Scott LeVan‘s account of a deadly night on I-80 in Pennsylvania. The issue much of the commentary was addressed toward: was whether declining CB radio usage could have in part been to blame in, at least, the severity of the crash. LeVan was confident his warning might better have helped, and callers to Overdrive‘s podcast line stressed the need for better use of what most viewed as a necessary safety tool, the CB, no matter how much you might dislike the foul language around major cities or certain truck stops (a common complaint). Catch a variety of views via the podcast here, part of Overdrive Radio's mailbag series of featuring owner-operator commentary on a bevy of issues.
This time of year, with more than occasionally dicey weather, particularly, things up ahead can change fast.
“My radio is on if I’m in the truck, period,” noted Jason Puniak in commentary under LeVan's original account of the Pennsylvania pileup. “No excuse to not have it on. And mine will also get out and receive. Its a big Stryker. I’d hate to be that guy who comes around a blind curve at 65 or 70 mph on a highway only to hit stopped traffic.”
[Related: The 'original social media,' CB still meets needs even if its glory days have passed]
Longtime Overdrive contributor Clifford Petersen seconded that notion with a winter-driving infographic, developed in part in hopes that “more drivers will use their CB radios this winter to help other drivers”:
