Appendix:Glossary of truck terminology

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 truck
 * articulated lorry (GB-except north of England) : semi-trailer truck
 * A-train : tractor with one semi-trailer and one full trailer

B
one 12 metres tri axle trailer.
 * highway patrol, bear: law enforcement officer, particularly at the state (USA) or province level
 * backdoor : a slower truck that maintains the rear of a convoy/train. Keeps an eye out for bears from behind.
 * 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 tire
 * 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
 * B double (Australia) Prime Mover(tractor) pulling one 6 metre tri axle trailer and
 * B triple, as above but towing additional 12 metre tri Axle,legal outside Metro areas
 * bull bar / roo bar (AUS) : (usually chrome) bars on the front of a truck
 * bulk cargo/bulk : loose cargo (not packaged)
 * bulkhead : firewall
 * bump the dock (USA) : To deliver a load; complete the carriage contract.
 * bunkering : refuelling (nautical term)

C

 * 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
 * recreational vehicle/RV/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/CBer : a Citizens' band radio user
 * central reservation (GB) : median strip (USA) also called a comedian (usa)
 * chicken coop : department of transportation weight check station
 * chicken hauler : big truck with many lights, that tends to travel at high speeds
 * Chinese : a three (or four ?) axle truck with two steering front axles, twin steer in Australia
 * chock-rail : a small rave along the edges of a flatbed truck or trailer, gun rail in Australia
 * 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 control / normal control : a truck with the cab behind the engine compartment
 * convoy : two or more vehicles running together
 * covered wagon : a flatbed with wooden sides, aluminum bows, and a tarp stretched over the top of it. also called a steel hauler
 * 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), bog cog in Australia, also granny gear (us)
 * crawler lane : a lane reserved for slow vehicles
 * crummy: Western US slang for early off road forest utility vehicles, eg International
 * road train/C-train: similar to an A-train, tractor with one semi-trailer and one full trailer
 * cwt/cwt. / hundredweight : 112 lbs

D

 * day cab : a short cab without a bunk or sleeping compartment
 * deadhead : power unit moving without load
 * demurrage : daily fee assessed when notified/offered equipment exceeds allowed free days at a barge or rail yard.
 * depot : distribution hub, facilitates downstreaming of materials and said transport
 * DERV (Diesel engined road vehicle) : Diesel oil
 * desperado : Usually a truck driver that has been pulled over by more than one bear at the same time.
 * dispatcher : coordinator of routing and delivery/pickup scheduling usually within a specific region/area using pool of power, drivers, etc.
 * 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(trailer)]], 1(axle) / diabolo : axle assembly sometimes used for towing semi-trailers also known as a converter, also known as a jifflox
 * dolly (trailer), 2 axles.Used in Australia for linking up to three trailers in Road Trains.Consists of dual axle trailer with draw bar and turn table mounted on top.
 * dolly 2(knot) / trucker’s dolly : a knot used by truckers when using ropes for load restraint
 * DOT : department of transportation (Canada and USA)
 * downtime : time when a vehicle is out of service
 * drag : trailer
 * drop : empty or loaded equipment (ie: container) dropped at site, transporter to come back later for pickup.
 * drop a trailer : leave fixed axle unit at a site, power/truck bobtails (deadhead) departs.
 * dropside : side panels which can be hinged down for loading
 * dual carriageway (GB) : divided highway (USA)
 * dumpster (USA)non-intermodal bin for waste, usually steel and in low yard capacities : skip (GB)
 * dunnage : empty return skids, plywood, and other shipping materials left in container/trailer/van.

E

 * europallet : pallet 120 X 80 cm (4’ X 2’6’’)
 * express carrier : parcels service
 * England trucking : C.R. England Trucking Company
 * Erb Group : Erb Group of Companies Reefer Experts
 * exhaust brake - A moveable flap in the exhaust system that creates backpressure to retard the engine and create more engine braking to assist when driving downhill.

F

 * fat girl : term used for truck stop whores, see also lot lizard, see also babydoll
 * articulated vehicle/Fifth wheel couplings/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
 * automobile/four wheeler : a normally derogatory term for a passenger (non-freight, usually possessing 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 / frontage
 * fox den : Police radar trap or popular speed trap area
 * front door : usually a truck in front of other trucks keeping an eye out for bears and keeping the lead pace

G

 * gator : blown-out truck tire left-overs on road-side
 * glad-hand coupling : palm coupling
 * glory hole : public bathroom with a hole cut between stalls for the purpose of male homosexual activity (usa)
 * glow plug : preheater to aid starting a cold engine
 * good buddy : a term that used to mean friend, it has been adopted by the homosexual community as a term for soliciting gay male sex
 * goods : merchandise
 * granny lane : right lane, slowest moving lane (usa)
 * 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./gvw/GVW : gross vehicle weight
 * GV9 (GB) : temporary prohibition to run an unsafe vehicle

H

 * hand : slang for driver
 * hammer : accelerate (mashing on the pedal real hard); accelerator
 * hammer lane : left lane on a four lane road (US)
 * 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
 * hit the pin : to check that vehicles are coupled correctly by trying to drive forwards before releasing the trailer brake.

I

 * injection pump : the pump that injects fuel into the cylinders
 * interline system/interline : 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) literally one thousand meters
 * King pin

L

 * largecar : a fast truck. Usually one that reaches triple digits (MPH)
 * lift pump : small pump which pumps fuel from the tank to the injector pump
 * livestock truck : cattle truck
 * live load : Driver stays with the trailer as freight is being loaded.
 * live unload : Driver stays with the trailer as freight is being unloaded.
 * 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
 * Lumper : staff hired for loading and unloading goods at a warehouse facility
 * Luton body/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)
 * recreational vehicle motorhome : camper
 * movement order / move orders : papers required for abnormal load
 * MPG/mpg : miles per gallon
 * MPV/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)
 * parking lot : Car hauler / automobile hauler
 * 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
 * P.T.O./PTO (power take-off / take-off) utilizes power from vehicle's gearbox to drive fitted equipment i.e skip loading body
 * pup (trailer) : a short trailer (<10m 24 ft)
 * pumpkin truck : Schneider Truck (they are bright orange)

R

 * range change : gearbox with low and high range
 * ratchet strap : strap for load restraint tightened by a ratchet
 * reefer : refrigerated vehicle or refrigerated container
 * relais routiers : the French equivalent of a transport café (usually offering a fixed-price all-you-can-eat evening meal)
 * retarder / Telma / 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 its 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) ;
 * roadblock : slow moving truck that has innate ability to cause rolling traffic jams. usually operated by large, well paid drivers. see also Roadway express.
 * road train : truck towing more than one trailer.In Australia,these can be up to four tri axle trailers long and have a total of 82 wheels,significantly bigger than the 18 wheelers the Americans drive
 * Roadway Express : a company with large, slow moving trucks. usually pulling doubles (two pups). the slowest trucks on the road. 62mph. see also RoadBlock, see also speed bump
 * rocking chair: a truck in between the front and back door trucks. (High rates of speed and drafting, this position gets a rocking effect from the wind)
 * roller cage : a cage with casters 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
 * shunter : (GB) Vehicle used in yard specifically for manoeuvring trailers
 * skate board : a flat bed trailer
 * 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)
 * speed bump : a very slow vehicle. Used to refer to Swift Trans, but JB Hunt is the slowest now.
 * 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
 * standby / driver standby : time exceeding the drayman's alloted free time for load/unload.
 * 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 / 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/towtruck : truck for towing light vehicles
 * tractor (unit) / tractive unit : prime mover for pulling semi-trailers
 * to tramp : picking up and delivering to any destination

W

 * wiggle wagon : double pups pulled by a day cab
 * wagon : trailer
 * wood duck: Lead truck of convoy, out in front and goes full speed

Y

 * yard jockey : Operator of Yard Truck
 * yard truck : Small tractor (usually one rear axle), mainly confined to on site shuttling of trailers to and from loading docks.