Often times it's just static, anymore. Most of the new drivers coming into the industry don't bother. I'm technically a new one, but have a more old school approach... plus I was mentored by my uncle, who has done it for nearly 40 years.
Yesterday on I-57 in Illinois there were a lot of "bear reports" - something extremely rare today with all the speed-governed trucks of the mega fleets (crete, swift, werner, cr england, etc.) but there were a lot of cops out yesterday.
All kinds of conversations can happen in truck stops, generally they quickly devolve into hostile political discussions and name calling, with the occasional whisper of "I ain't got no panties on" though I don't hear that much anymore.
I get a good chuckle out of most of it, an occasional belly-laugh out of some of it, and some of it annoys me to the point of turning the radio down (but never off) but not much. I guess I have thick skin or something.
Every once in awhile I'll end up heading the same direction as another guy and after some random conversation starter we'll end up shooting the **** for 100+ miles.
When the band is subject to propagation, I'll leave channel 19 and go to 28, or 38 LSB (lower side band) and try to make contacts, I can usually talk all over the country.