Trucker Slang Terms
Ever since the “golden era” of trucking in the 1970s and 1980s, truckers of all types have had their own special lingo that they use to communicate with each other. Generally, this “cant” was designed to be unintelligible to non-truckers and it was used most widely on Citizens Band or CB radio communications.
As your San Diego truck dealer, Draco Isuzu Truck Center has rounded up this list of slang terms so you can verse yourself on highway jargon. Check them out and you’ll be able to understand them when you hear them, including in famous movies such as Smokey and the Bandit, released in 1977.
Road Terminology
The slang terms used on the road were used to assist drivers and provide vital information, particularly around avoiding local police if truckers happened to be speeding. These terms are evocative and intriguing, because drives got boring otherwise!
- Bear - Any law-enforcement officer, but typically state troopers.
- Eat-’Em-Up - Restaurant/diner.
- Flip-Flop - Any trip where a driver immediately turns around after reaching the destination and returns to his point of departure.
- Good Buddy - 1970s term for any fellow trucker.
- Handle - CB radio nickname that a trucker uses in lieu of their real name.
- Shutter Trouble - Sleepiness; struggling to keep one’s eyes open.
- Through the Woods - Taking a backroad instead of the interstate or highway.
- Yardstick - Green highway mile marker.
Truck Parts
Even the truck itself gets its own jargon! Those who don’t drive big rigs or other large trucks will not know these terms, usually.
- Berth - Sleeping space inside the cab of a truck that the driver uses to rest.
- Black Eye - Burned-out headlight.
- Hammer - Accelerator.
- Pigtail - Electrical connection between a trailer and the truck cab.
- Reefer - Short for “refrigerated,” a reefer truck is insulated and cooled inside to transport any type of perishable goods, including food and medical supplies.
CB Radio Ten Codes
Finally, we have the codes that truckers typically used on the highway as a shorthand with each other for really quick broadcasts back and forth. Ten codes all begin with the number “10” and could be considered similar to instant messaging abbreviations. Police still use some of these codes today.
- 10-4 - “Message received” or “OK.”
- 10-9 - Repeat your last message.
- 10-13 - What’s the weather like?
- 10-20 - Driver’s location.
- 10-36 - What time is it?
- 10-100 - Restroom break.
Stop by our dealership in San Diego, CA, to check out our full inventory of new and used trucks for sale, including the latest Isuzu truck models. Talk to one of our friendly sales team members if you’d like assistance with financing. Draco Isuzu Truck Center proudly serves our California customers in San Diego County.