What Was Your Favorite CB Handle?
Human beings are social creatures, but we aren’t alone in wanting to associate with our peers. Even bacteria is known to socially interact amongst themselves, and to protect themselves from threats. But what makes us unique is how and where we interact. We get our fix of social interaction in person, at a computer, on a dumb/smart phone, and even on the road. Since this is Hagerty and not the Science Channel, let’s marinate on that last concept.
There are many hands-free options to integrate a telephone into the audio system of almost any vehicle (thanks for that, Bluetooth), but how did we perform the same action before the advent of the cellular phone?
Many of you already know the answer, and the advent of the citizens band radio forever altered the way we rolled down the highway. And that’s where a previous installment of According To You comes into focus, namely a comment from one of our most beloved community members:
“You once got several articles out of vanity/personalized license plates – how about one on creative CB “handles?” (By the way, I think “Holy Cow” was brilliant, and your dad just gained all kinds of style points in my book.)
Of course, I started driving semi-trucks in the late ’60s and really put on the miles in the ’70s, right when the CB phase was at its peak (along with cowboy boots) in trucking. And sure, when we piled into the family car to make a trip in those days, the CB came out of the rig and went right along with us. Each of my kids got handles and each took turns calling out to find out where the Smokeys were up ahead. Great fun.
In my trucking life, the CB was as important as having an empty bottle on board (TMI?), and it saved me more than once. I suppose that most of the truckers today are just using their cell phones for a lot of what we relied on our CBs to do. Auto drivers, too. But honestly, I would still consider digging out the ol’ Cobra 29 and sparking it up if I was driving across the country again!”
Hagerty Community Member DUB6
So do DUB6 and me a favor, and tell us what your favorite CB handle was back in the day! (Or maybe even now?)
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One I used for years while working as a company man for a oil drilling company in TX and OK was Magic Man. I was given it due to the fact that on some days I would drive from Dallas to Abline to Cisco to Austin then back to Dallas and someone once observed on my multiple location presence as “that has to be a magic man”.
My handle was Snowman being from the north east but today you can hook up with Radio Garage on you tube for all of your CB needs and wants
I once heard a lady on the radio, chatting with various truckers as she passed them. I soon realized she was behind me and going my direction. Her handle was “Top Down”, and so I assumed she was driving a convertible. She kept saying things like, “Hey Mr. red Kenworth, you’re being passed by Top Down. From some of the comments, I gathered she must be an attractive gal, so I was eager to see her pass me. I was a bit surprised when she hollered at me as a hardtop Ford sped by – I barely had a second to glance inside as she was alongside. Um, how do I say this – my assumption was wrong about what “Top Down” was in reference to.
When I used to drive a pick up and tow my husband’s race car to the track, the truckers would always ask me
“How fast would it go in the 1/4 mile.” I always gave them a high number, as it was a Can-Am car and I had no idea how fast it would go there to begin with. They were always fascinated that two girls were driving the truck and towing a race car to begin with. My CB name was Lavender Lady.
May handle was “Thirsty”. Some times I would be asked “ Is that you or your machine? I would answer “Both of us!”
Ah 1975 got my first radio been using one ever since. Had the cobra 29 went to the side band phase now running a galaxy. That radio has saved my bacon more than once, instant communication beats gps or making a call. Unfortunately some of the communication today is a little rougher than it was 40 years ago.
My handle has been shooter so if you see any pregnant roller skates, parking lots, wobble wagons, evil kin evils or that big bad bear give a shout. All the good numbers to you
Shooter on the side. 😎
There was a driver (older guy) at a company I drove for whose name was Carl. Really great guy. I never found out how he ended up in Idaho from his origins in North Carolina, but I’m glad he did, because I was pleased to have known him. Carl’s handle (not surprisingly) was “Tarheel”.
Another trucker I worked with had a real slow, western drawl, and even walked with a little bit of a stiff legged limp. His CB handle was “Festus”. I didn’t know him very well, but one day I asked him, “Say, I only know to call you by Festus – what’s your real name?” He looked at me kinda funny and said, “Festus. My real name IS Festus.”
70s & early 80s I was driving for a west coast oil company & our tanks had what were known as “pogo sticks” in the tanks that would float up to a certain level when your load you were putting on got to the legal weight limit. I took the cb handle of “Pogo Stick”. Almost always had to explain that one!
Given the time frame, you may have been talking with people who were of an age to remember the “Pogo” comic [“We have met the enemy, and it is us”]. I’m from the era who might’ve jumped to the conclusion that you were referencing that just as much as the toy jumping contraption. Used to read Pogo every day. But it’s funny that those sticks were thus named, because a pogo stick (on a semi) to me was an entirely different thing – something to hold your trailer air and electric lines up outta harm’s way.
I hauled a yellow Corvette fuel funny car on the back of a ramp truck in the mid ’70s. My handle was “banana boat.” “You got that ol’ banana boat slippin’ out of Chi-Town on I-80 with a big hammer down.”
Now, I like that one!
A buddy and myself lived close enough that we could talk over CBs from our homes, but we also travelled together a good bit. At the time, I had a white Z28 and he was still driving Mom’s full size blue Dodge van. Our handles were White Lightning and Blue Thunder respectively.