Welcome to the Trucker’s Slang Dictionary, a concise guide to the unique and colorful language of the trucking industry. This collection offers insight into the world of truckers, whose daily experiences on the road have given rise to a distinctive vernacular. From humorous nicknames to practical terms, each entry in this dictionary encapsulates an aspect of the trucking lifestyle and culture.
Designed for truckers, enthusiasts, and the curious alike, this dictionary sheds light on the terminology that defines life on the highway. It’s a tribute to the creativity and camaraderie of those who drive the big rigs, keeping the wheels of commerce turning. So, whether you’re a long-haul veteran or just truck-curious, dive in and explore the rich language of the road!
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Anchor Clanker: A driver hauling heavy or oversized loads.
Alligator: A piece of a tire on the road, usually from a blowout.
Air Mail: Throwing something out of the window while driving.
Anchor Clanker: A heavy or oversized load, usually requiring special permits to transport.
B
Back Door: The position behind a truck or a convoy of trucks.
Bobtail: Driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Bear: A term for police, specifically highway patrol.
Backhaul: A return load or trip back to the original departure point.
Breaker-Breaker: A call for attention on a CB radio.
Bear Bait: A speeding vehicle that might attract the attention of highway patrol officers.
Bingo Cards: Paper logs or trip reports used by truck drivers.
Bumper Sticker: A vehicle that is tailgating a truck too closely.
Butterfly: A truck with empty flatbed trailers.
Bull Hauler: A truck driver who transports livestock.
Blinkie: A turn signal or indicator light.
Bubblegum Machine: Slang for the lights on top of a police car. Blinkie: A turn signal.
C
Chicken Lights: Extra lights on a truck, often for decorative purposes.
City Horn: A truck’s regular horn, as opposed to the louder air horn.
Comic Book: A trucker’s logbook or record of duty status.
City Kitty: Local law enforcement or city police.
Comic Book: The logbook where a driver records hours and activities.
Cash Register: A tollbooth, referring to the cost of passing through.
Convoy: A group of trucks traveling together.
Chicken Coop: A weigh station, where trucks are inspected and weighed.
Cash Box: A toll booth where truckers pay tolls.
Coffin Dodger: A pedestrian who isn’t paying attention to traffic.
D
Dashboard Diner: Eating a meal in the truck’s cabin.
Deadhead: Driving with an empty trailer.
Diesel Bear: An officer specifically inspecting diesel trucks.
Double Nickel: A term for driving at 55 mph.
Draggin’ Wagon: A tow truck.
Dancing Brakelights: The flashing brake lights of a truck signaling a slowdown or stop ahead.
Dragon Wagon: A tow truck, particularly for big rigs.
E
Eyeball: To see or spot something, usually while driving.
Elephant Race: When two trucks try to pass each other but have similar speeds, causing slow traffic.
F
Flip-Flop: A round trip or a return load.
Full Grown: A full-sized state police or highway patrol vehicle.
Four-Wheeler: Any non-commercial vehicle, typically a car or small truck.
Fender Bender: A minor road accident.
Fishbowl: A truck cab with lots of windows.
Freight Shaker: A Freightliner truck.
Fat Load: A very profitable haul for a trucker.
G
Granny Lane: The slowest lane on the highway, typically the right-most lane.
Gator Gut: The remnants of a shredded tire on the road.
Grease Monkey: A mechanic.
Granny Lane: The slowest lane on a highway, typically the far right lane.
Gear Jammer: A driver who shifts gears frequently.
Georgia Overdrive: Coasting downhill in neutral to save fuel.
Go Juice: Diesel fuel.
Grossed Out: When a truck is carrying the maximum legal weight. Greasy Spoon: A small, often roadside, diner or restaurant.
H
Hammer Lane: The far left lane on a highway, usually used for passing.
Happy Camper: A trucker who is content with their current situation on the road.
Hopper: A bulk cargo trailer, often for grain or similar materials.
Hood Ornament: A vehicle driving too close in front of a truck.
Hundred Mile Coffee: Very strong coffee, often needed for long drives.
I
Icebox: A refrigerated trailer.
Ink Slinger: A trucker who falsifies logbook records.
Iron Butterfly: A truck hauling steel.
J
Jug Handle: A U-turn or sharp curve in the road.
Jake Brake: An engine braking system that helps slow down a truck without using the brakes.
Jockey Box: The storage compartment on the outside of a truck.
Jug Handle: A looping turn or exit on a highway.
K
Kingpin: A critical pin that locks a trailer to a tractor.
Kangaroo: A vehicle that keeps speeding up and slowing down.
K-Whopper: A Kenworth truck.
L
Lot Lizard: Slang for a prostitute who frequents truck stops.
Landing Gear: The retractable supports on a trailer when it’s not attached to a tractor.
Logger: A truck specifically used for transporting logs.
Lollipop: The sign at the rear of a long vehicle, indicating its end.
Landline: A traditional telephone, as opposed to a cell phone.
Left Coast: The West Coast of the United States.
Log Book: The record book where truckers note their driving hours, rest periods, and other details as required by law.
M
Meatwagon: An ambulance.
Merry-Go-Round: A roundabout or traffic circle.
Moonlight Mile: Nighttime driving.
Mailbox: A toll collection device that trucks pass under.
Meat Wagon: An ambulance.
Moving Roadblock: When a slow truck is passing another slow truck, causing traffic delay.
Mud Duck: A weak radio signal.
N
Nap Trap: A rest area or any place a driver might stop to sleep.
Nightcrawlers: Trucks that primarily operate at night.
Noisy Cricket: A very loud small car or motorcycle.
Nap Trap: A place where a driver can rest, typically a rest area.
O
Oil Spot: The place where a truck used to be, often used in the context of a truck leaving a location.
Organ Donor: A motorcyclist not wearing a helmet.
Oilfield Trash: A truck or driver who primarily works in the oil industry.
Off the Wire: Information obtained through the CB radio.
P
Paperweight: A broken-down truck.
Parking Lot: A term for a loaded car carrier trailer.
Pete: Short for Peterbilt, a popular make of truck.
Pickle Park: A rest area, sometimes implying a location with questionable activities.
Plain Wrapper: An unmarked police car.
Polar Bear: A white highway patrol vehicle.
Pavement Princess: A truck driver who stays on major highways and avoids rough roads.
Portable Parking Lot: A car transporter.
Pre-Trip: The inspection a driver does before starting a journey.
Pumpkin: A Schneider truck, due to its orange color.
Pigtail: The electrical connector that connects the trailer to the tractor.
Payload: The cargo or freight being transported.
Pig Pen: A dirty or unkempt truck.
Parking Brake: A term for a truck driver’s spouse.
Q
Queen City: A nickname for Cincinnati, Ohio, known among truckers.
R
Range Chicken: Roadside wildlife, typically small animals.
Reefer: A refrigerated trailer used for transporting perishable goods.
Ragtop: A convertible car.
Road Cowboy: A truck driver who drives aggressively.
Rolling Roadblock: Several trucks driving side by side at the same speed, blocking traffic behind them.
Radiator Check: A restroom break.
Road Pizza: Roadkill or animals hit on the highway.
Rocking Chair: The space between two large trucks, where a smaller vehicle can be shielded from wind.
Roller Skate: A small or underpowered truck.
S
Sleeper Cab: A compartment attached to the cab where the driver can rest or sleep.
Shotgun Lane: The lane immediately to the right of the far left lane.
Sliding Fifth Wheel: An adjustable part of the tractor that can move to distribute weight on the axles.
Skateboard: Slang for a flatbed trailer.
Scale House: Another term for a weigh station.
Scooter: A small passenger vehicle.
Seat Cover: Slang for a female passenger.
Shake the Bushes: Leading a convoy to check for police ahead.
Slip Seat: Sharing a truck with other drivers on different shifts.
Spaghetti Junction: A complex and confusing network of roads and interchanges.
Stinger: A type of trailer used to haul multiple cars.
Swamp Donkey: Slang for a moose, often seen in northern routes.
Skates: Tires on a truck or trailer.
Salt Shaker: A snowplow or a vehicle spreading salt on the roads.
Sandbox: A truck carrying sand, often for oil field operations.
Smoky Bear: Another term for a highway patrol officer, particularly state troopers.
Stagecoach: A tour bus.
T
Tailgater: A vehicle that is following too closely.
Thermos Bottle: A tanker trailer.
Travel Agent: A dispatcher or someone who plans truck routes.
Turtle Race: When several slow trucks are blocking all lanes, causing traffic to slow down.
U
V
W
18-Wheeler: A tractor-trailer combination consisting of a truck and trailer with a total of 18 wheels.
Wiggle Wagon: A truck with multiple trailers that wiggle when in motion.
Wagon Master: The lead truck in a convoy.
X
Y
Yard Jockey: A person who moves trailers around a shipping yard or warehouse facility.
Yardstick: A mile marker on the highway.
Z
Zombie: A driver who is exhausted or driving without adequate rest.
