To finish the adventure of my previous post: as a truck driver, one must know Average Speed. With respect, I’ll find it a surprise if any of you “know” yours even if you’ve used the same cruise control set speed. My truck is governed at 65-mph. As the satellite comms device tracks truck performance, I have an exact record of time spent in driving (HOS electronic logs). If I run my preferred 62-mph (keeps traffic flowing around me) my average — all Interstate miles — will be 55-mph. Loaded or empty. Almost any terrain. Etc.
The value of the CB is manifold. Today, knowing that IH70 was badly jammed from the IH64 intersection and thence across the Mississippi at St Louis, (and then again at the IH64/44 split due to an accident; all of which I could read from the GPS), using the radio to confirm that problem set led to a detour.
“Had to run back thru the woods”, you’ll hear a driver say. A narrow byway for an 18-wheeler.
So the second round of questions posed (where I’m fairly sure I’m getting out over a mile; 1.20 SWR on the 980 and 1.50 on an external meter) was concerning the use of a connecting highway.
While I have the ClrSpkr aboard, the RM ITALY KL203 isn’t. But I was lucky enough to learn my choice from the Road Carrier Motor Atlas was sound by other-driver report.
And it worked.
It’s not the time I arrive at the day’s destination. It’s having enough driving hours to reach it. I’d have lost MORE THAN a half hour in STL traffic (confirmed later with another driver who’d passed me well back in Illinois). My detour added miles and degraded my average mph.
Could have been a loss. Many or most days it doesn’t matter as I’ve no intention of working that hard. Truck driving is about a steady pace.
Had I not been able to “save” that half-hour, I’d have had to stop not thirty minutes earlier, but over an hour as the road chosen is a limited access turnpike.
I’ll still make my delivery, but would have had to get up even earlier than my SLEEP ONLY period of 2200-0200 daily. I violate that and I feel screwed up for two days or more.
As getting home to see my son before he again departs to the Middle East as a contractor,
The proper use of a reliable, quality radio was paramount.
There are no worries with a company driver tossing in a 980 and swapping antennas for something up to the 13’5” limit.
I made a gamble and it paid off. I would have tried it anyway as there was nothing to lose per my rest requirement. But clearly received & transmitted info made for confidence. This is not a car where a mistakes about alternative routes are easily fixed.
No big trucks were ahead of me on the byway south. But two got off and followed me the whole way (18-miles). Neither could produce a credible signal when I called to them.
A straight out of the box 980 is an easy choice, IMO.
Good luck to the OP with what he decides.
.
The value of the CB is manifold. Today, knowing that IH70 was badly jammed from the IH64 intersection and thence across the Mississippi at St Louis, (and then again at the IH64/44 split due to an accident; all of which I could read from the GPS), using the radio to confirm that problem set led to a detour.
“Had to run back thru the woods”, you’ll hear a driver say. A narrow byway for an 18-wheeler.
So the second round of questions posed (where I’m fairly sure I’m getting out over a mile; 1.20 SWR on the 980 and 1.50 on an external meter) was concerning the use of a connecting highway.
While I have the ClrSpkr aboard, the RM ITALY KL203 isn’t. But I was lucky enough to learn my choice from the Road Carrier Motor Atlas was sound by other-driver report.
And it worked.
It’s not the time I arrive at the day’s destination. It’s having enough driving hours to reach it. I’d have lost MORE THAN a half hour in STL traffic (confirmed later with another driver who’d passed me well back in Illinois). My detour added miles and degraded my average mph.
Could have been a loss. Many or most days it doesn’t matter as I’ve no intention of working that hard. Truck driving is about a steady pace.
Had I not been able to “save” that half-hour, I’d have had to stop not thirty minutes earlier, but over an hour as the road chosen is a limited access turnpike.
I’ll still make my delivery, but would have had to get up even earlier than my SLEEP ONLY period of 2200-0200 daily. I violate that and I feel screwed up for two days or more.
As getting home to see my son before he again departs to the Middle East as a contractor,
The proper use of a reliable, quality radio was paramount.
There are no worries with a company driver tossing in a 980 and swapping antennas for something up to the 13’5” limit.
I made a gamble and it paid off. I would have tried it anyway as there was nothing to lose per my rest requirement. But clearly received & transmitted info made for confidence. This is not a car where a mistakes about alternative routes are easily fixed.
No big trucks were ahead of me on the byway south. But two got off and followed me the whole way (18-miles). Neither could produce a credible signal when I called to them.
A straight out of the box 980 is an easy choice, IMO.
Good luck to the OP with what he decides.
.
