Truck drivers drive hundreds of miles and spend hours in trucks on a daily basis. Through the use of CB radios and visits with fellow truck drivers at local truck stops, they have a unique lingo that are only understood by fellow drivers. To help you understand the language of the drivers of the 18 wheel big rigs, we have assembled some of the most commonly used terms that truck drivers use:
- Alligator: is the tread from the shredded tire of an 18-wheeler that can be found on the road
- Bit on the seat of the britches: Got tagged by the police for a speeding ticket
- Bear Den: is the term for police headquarters
- Bear in the Air: when the highway speed is checked by an airplane or helicopter
- Boy Scouts: another term for the state police
- Bunny Hopper: would be a vehicle that changes lanes constantly
- Clean Shot: when the road up ahead is free of any obstructions, construction, or police
- County Mounties: would be a local sheriff’s patrol
- Dropped it off the shoulder: is when a vehicle ran off the side of a highway
- Fender bender: is a common term for a traffic accident
- Flag waver: is what a highway repair crew is called
- Kojak with a Kodak: police that are using a radar gun at the side of the road
- Mile Marker: is the name of the mileposts that are on interstate highways
- Nightcrawlers: is when many police are in the area
- Paperhanger: is when police are giving out tickets
- Parking Lot: is what you get when you have a traffic jam
- Peel your eyeballs: is when you want to be on the lookout (usually for police)
- Plain white wrapper: is a term for an unmarked police car
- Rolling roadblock: a construction vehicle that is moving at a very slow speed
- Rubberneckers: drivers that are interested in looking off the road, typically at an accident scene
- Wear your bumper out: when a vehicle is following too close
In addition, truckers use Citizen’s Band radios (C.B. Radios) to communicate with one another on the highways. Truckers use C.B. Radios to chat with one another, find out about traffic conditions, weather conditions and whether police are in the area. Here are a few of the number codes used in C.B. Radio:
C.B.Radio Number Codes
- 10-4: OK, message received
- 10-9: Repeat message
- 10-13: Advise weather conditions
- 10-20: My location is… (e.g. “What’s your twenty?”)
- 10-36: The correct time
- 10-100: Restroom stop
To help you further understand truck driver slang, we have gathered a few additional resources for you to use:
