Truckspeak

Encyclopedia : T : TR : TRU : Truckspeak

Glossary of truck jargon


Top - 0–9 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

abnormal load : oversize
agency driver : a temp
airlock : an air bubble in fuel system etc.
A-road (GB) : principal highway
artic (GB) : tractor semi-trailer / semi (AUS, USA) (from articulated lorry)
articulated vehicle : any vehicle towing a trailer, usually refers to a semi-trailer
articulated lorry (GB-except north of England) : tractor semi-trailer
A-train : tractor with one semi-trailer and one full trailer

B

bear: law enforcement officer, particularly at the state (USA) or province level
belt highway (USA) : circular route / ring road (GB)
belly dump (USA) : A trailer that discharges its load from the bottom, usually gravel
big wheel man : a trucker
black and white: law enforcement officer, particularly at the city level (named for the generally black and white color scheme of their vehicles)
blow-out : burst tyre
bobtail / riding bobtail / unit only / solo : driving a tractor unit without a trailer
bonded warehouse : a warehouse controlled by customs
bonnet (GB) : hood (USA)
bowser : small tanker truck used for refuelling plant and machinery
box : any container, often refers to an ISO container
B-road (GB) : secondary highway (some B-roads are impassable for heavy vehicles)
B-train : tractor with two semi-trailers
bull bar / roo bar (AUS) : (usually chrome) bars on the front of a truck
bulk : loose cargo (not packaged)
bulkhead : firewall
Bump the dock (USA) : To deliver a load; complete the carriage contract.
bunkering : refuelling (nautical term)

C

cab : cabin of a truck
cabover (USA) : A style of tractor with a flat front due to the cab over the engine. See normal control.
cabotage : haulage within one country by a foreigner
cabover / forward control : vehicle with a cab built over the engine rather than behind it
camper : motorhome
cannonballing / to cannonball : over-correction of steering (from "Cannonball", a Canadian TV series in 1958/9 where the actors who played truckers would jerk the steering wheel left and right even though the following scene would show a truck rolling along in a straight line)
car transporter : truck for carrying cars
caravan : travel trailer
carriage forward : carriage paid by the recipient
carriage paid : carriage paid by the sender
carriageway (GB) : roadway
carriers : transport company
cattle truck : livestock truck
CB : Citizens' band radio
CB'er : a Citizens' band radio user
central reservation (GB) : median strip (USA)
Chinese : a three axle truck with two steering front axles
chock-rail : a small rave along the edges of a flatbed truck or trailer
CMR : consignment note for European haulage
coffee shop : a cafeteria
consignee : the recipient
consigner : the sender
consignment note : waybill
container : usually refers to an ISO container
continental driver (GB) : trucker who does international journeys
conventional / normal control : a truck with the cab behind the engine compartment
convoy : two or more vehicles running together
cowboy (GB) : someone who doesn’t take his job seriously
cowboy outfit (GB) : a rogue haulage company
crawler : a slow moving vehicle
crawler gear : the lowest gear in a gearbox (below 1st gear)
crawler lane : a lane reserved for slow vehicles
cwt. / hundredweight : 112 lbs

D

day cab : a short cab without a bunk or sleeping compartment
deadhead : hauling an empty trailer
demurrage : payment for delay in loading or unloading
depot : place from which goods are dispatched
DERV (Diesel engined road vehicle) : Diesel oil
dispatcher : truck driver supervisor who plans and dispatches loads
divided highway (USA) : divided road (AUS) / dual carriageway (GB)
dock leveller : steel plate so that goods can be rolled on or off a truck onto a dock
dolly 1(axle) / diabolo : axle assembly sometimes used for towing semi-trailers also known as a converter
dolly (trailer), 2 axles.
dolly 2(knot) / trucker’s dolly : a knot used by truckers when using ropes for load restraint
DOT : department of transport (Canada and USA)
downtime : time when a vehicle is out of service
drag : trailer
drop : a delivery
drop a trailer : to uncouple a trailer
dropside : side panels which can be hinged down for loading
dual carriageway (GB) : divided highway (USA)
dumpster (USA) : skip (GB)
dunnage : empty return skids, plywood, and other shipping materials

E

Europallet : pallet 120 X 80 cm (4’ X 2’6’’)
express carrier : parcels service

F

fifth wheel (coupling) : turntable on which a semi-trailer pivots
fitter : truck mechanic
flat wagon : flatbed
fleet : several vehicles owned by the same company
fly sheet : a tarpaulin fastened over the top of the other sheets for extra protection against the rain
flyover (GB) : overpass (USA)
forward control / cabover : vehicle with a cab built over the engine rather than behind it
forwarding : shipping
Four Wheeler : passenger (non-freight, usually posessing four wheels) vehicle
freight exchange : Internet load & vehicle market place
freight : goods / charge for goods carried
freight rate : rate charged for goods carried
frontage road (USA) : service road

G

glad-hand coupling : palm coupling
glow plug : preheater to aid starting a cold engine
goods : merchandise
grease monkey : a fitter
greasy spoon : a dingy café
green card 1 (Europe) : motor insurance certificate
green card 2 (USA) : residence permit
groupage : several consignments grouped together in one vehicle to be sorted before delivery
G.T.W. : gross train weight
gunshot : loaded breadthways
gunshot and roll : loaded lengthways and breadthways alternately
G.V.W. : gross vehicle weight
GV9 (GB) : temporary prohibition to run an unsafe vehicle

H

handball : loose cargo to be manhandled
handle : CB callsign
haulage : trucking
haulage contractor : (road) haulier
hazchem : hazardous chemicals
hazmat : hazardous material
hazpak : hazardous goods in packages
HGV (heavy goods vehicle) : a truck

I

injection pump : the pump that injects fuel into the cylinders
interline sytem : a series of contractual arrangements between carriers for the seamless movement of freight Freight interline system

J

jackknifing : accidental folding of an articulated vehicle
Jake brake / Jacobs brake : engine brake
juggernaut (GB) : offensive word for a truck (first used by those who were campaigning against trucks; not used by people in the industry)

K

kilometre : 0.6 miles approx. (100 km =62 miles)literaly one thousand meters
King pin

L

lift pump : small pump which pumps fuel from the tank to the injector pump
livestock truck : cattle truck
logistics : movement and supply of goods
lorry (some regions of GB) : truck (A lorry was originally a horse-drawn vehicle. Diesel-engined vehicles were called motor lorries but the word motor was later dropped)
lot lizard : Trucker slang for prostitutes who hang out at truck stops.
low loader or low boy: semi-trailer with a low deck to carry heavy machinery
LPG : liquefied petroleum gas
Luton van : van specially designed for carrying bulky goods, the body of which overhangs the cab (originally from Luton in England for carrying straw hats : similar to a pantechnicon van but not quite as big)

M

metric ton / tonne : 2205 lb
mile : 1.6 km (1.609344 km exact)
motorhome : camper
movement order : papers required for abnormal load
MPG : miles per gallon
MPV / multi-purpose vehicle : minivan

N

night heater : parking heater (a cab heater which runs on diesel that keeps the cab warm when the engine is not running)
night trunk : regular line between cities at night
nipple : the shape of the fifth wheel opening to connect the tractor with the trailer is shaped like an erect female nipple.
normal control / conventional : a truck with the cab behind the engine compartment. See cabover.
nose : the front of a trailer

O

odometer : mile or kilometer counter
offload : unload
oversize (AUS, USA) : abnormal load / wide load

P

pallet : wooden board for carrying goods
pallet jack (USA) : a dolly resembling the tines of a forklift with a handle attached, to move laden pallets on a dock; often motorized.
pallet truck : small cart for moving pallets
palm coupling : glad-hand coupling
pantechnicon : storage depot
pantechnicon van : large removals van normally with the cab integrated into the body
parking heater : night heater (a cab heater which runs on diesel that keeps the cab warm when the engine is not running)
pickup truck : a small truck
piggy-back : to transport a truck or trailer on a train or another truck
plant : earthmoving vehicles or equipment
prime mover : the engine which drives the power unit of a Diesel-electric locomotive : in road haulage - a tractor unit.
PSV (Public Service vehicle) : a bus
pup (trailer) : a short trailer (<10m)

R

range change : gearbox with low and high range
ratchet strap : strap for load restraint tightened by a ratchet
reefer : refrigerated vehicle or container
relais routiers : the French equivalent of a transport café (usually offering a fixed-price all-you-can-eat evening meal)
retarder / Telma : electro-magnetic device for slowing a vehicle down without using the wheel brakes
return load office : agency or clearing house for return loads
rig 1 : a combination of vehicles (any truck coupled up to it’s trailer or trailers)
rig 2 : a CB Radio transceiver
rigid (vehicle) / straight truck : truck that does not normally tow a trailer)
ring road (GB) / circular route : belt highway (USA) ;
road train : truck towing more than one trailer
roller cage : a cage with castors for transporting loose items
roo bar (AUS) : bull bar
rope spanner (GB - humoristic) : penknife
RORO : roll-on-roll-off

S

scale : public regulatory or private pay per use device for weighing trucks and truck loads
semi-trailer : a trailer without a front axle (the front is supported by a tractor unit or a dolly : semi-trailers have legs to support them when uncoupled)
service road : frontage road
to shunt : to manoeuvre trailers or to do a local shuttle service
shunt : rear-end collision
skeletal trailer : semi-trailer for carrying containers
skin (GB Scotland) = fly sheet
skip (GB) : dumpster (USA)
sleeper cab : cab with a bunk or sleeping compartment
solo / riding bobtail / tractor unit only
spanner (GB) : wrench (USA)
splitter : switch on gear shift lever which splits each gear in two
spreadover / daily spreadover : the amount of time from the start to the end of a driver’s shift
stone : 14 lb (6,3kg) (a 4 stone bag is about 25 kg)
straight truck (USA) : rigid truck
super single : wide tyre used instead of twin tyres
SUV : sport utility vehicle
suzi : flexible coupling
Sylvester / Warwick : chain tensioner

T

tachograph : black box (also known as the spy in the cab)
tachograph disc : disc inserted into the tachograph which records *time, speed and distance
tail-lift : tailgate which doubles as an elevator for goods
tailgate : back door of a truck which hinges at the top or bottom
tanker : a semi-trailer designed for the transport of liquid, usually gasoline or milk
to tailgate / tailgating : driving too closely to the preceding vehicle
tank transporter : low loader for military vehicles
tare : weight of empty vehicle or container
Tautliner : curtain sided trailer
tilt : covered trailer that can be sealed by the customs for *international transport
TIR cable : a cable for sealing a tilt
TIR carnet : a permit to drive across frontiers
TIR tilt / tilt : trailer that can be sealed by the customs for *international transport
ton 1 (GB) : long ton = 2 240 pounds (1 016kg)
ton 2 (USA) : short ton =2 000 pounds (907 kg)
ton 3 / tonne : metric ton =1 000kg (2 205 lb)
tonne : metric tonne
tow truck : truck for towing light vehicles
tractor (unit) / tractive unit : prime mover for pulling semi-trailers
to tramp : picking up and delivering to any destina

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