The Ultimate Trucker Slang Quiz

By: Isadora Teich
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
The Ultimate Trucker Slang Quiz
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Breaker, breaker, one, nine. We challenge you to test your trucker lingo knowledge.

For more than seventy-five years, big rig culture has been immortalized on the big screen and in American music. From 1940's They Drive by Night, with Humphrey Bogart; to 1975's White Line Fever, with Jan Michael Vincent; to the popular 1978 television show B.J. and the Bear, starring Greg Evigan, trucker culture has played an important role. We might even say that the culture became extremely popular due to the success of the 1978 blockbuster, Convoy, starring Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw, which was inspired by a 1976 country music song of the same name.

Truckers are depicted as rough-and-tumble big guys with a heart. It's hard not to love them. But, let's admit it, we all love that trucker lingo. Truckers face long hauls on the road and could use a little banter to stay alert and connected. Truckers use CB radios to chat, share road conditions, and, of course, make sure everyone knows where those Smokeys are. It's that trucker slang that is so enticing. After all, saying "a police officer operating a radar gun at the 50 mile marker" is nowhere near as fun as saying "Kojack with a Kodak at the 50 yardstick."

Think you can hang with the big boys? Take this trucker slang quiz to find out.

What does road pizza refer to?
Road kill
Bad cars
Poor drivers
Reckless pedestrians
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Road pizza refers to any kind of road kill. It's generally on the side of the road.

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What does Roger mean?
No
Danger ahead
Road closed
Yes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Roger is another way that truckers say "yes" or "affirmative." A trucker might say "Roger that." on CB radio.

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What does "affirmative" mean?
No
Yes
Danger ahead
Slow down
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers have a lot of common phrases they use on CB radio when communicating. Affirmative means yes.

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What is an alligator?
A piece of tire in the road
A literal alligator
A landmine
Any road kill
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stray bits of tire in the road can look like alligators, hence their name. Truckers try to avoid these, as they can do damage to trucks.

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If a trucker on CB radio is known as a ratchet jaw it means that they are:
Talkative
Silent
Using a bad connection
Funny
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A ratchet jaw is a trucker who talks constantly on CB radio. They don't give anyone else a chance to talk.

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If a trucker says something is at your back door, that means that there is something:
Behind you
Far away
In front of you
Next to you
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If a trucker says this, it means that there is something behind you on the road. For example, they might say "There's a Chevy at your back door."

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If a trucker says they have too many eggs in the basket, their truck is:
Broken
Leaking
Overweight
In tip top shape
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Every truck has a maximum weight it is supposed to carry. If a truck is over this weight, a trucker might say their truck has too many eggs in the basket.

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During which season might you see a salt shaker on the road?
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Salt shakers refer to the maintenance vehicles that dump sand or salt onto highways in the winter. These are meant to provide traction so vehicles don't slip and slide on snow and ice.

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A bear is a:
Poor driver
Law enforcement officer
Drunken driver
Seasoned trucker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bear is trucker slang for law enforcement officer, usually a state trooper or highway patrol. For example, if there is a bear in the bushes, it means that law enforcement is hiding along the road.

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What does Wally World refer to?
Wal-Mart
Truck stops
Parking lots
Wyoming
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wally world can refer to any Wal-Mart store or distribution center. It can also refer to their trucks.

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What does 95th Street refer to?
Any highway
The Lincoln Tunnel
Weigh stations
Interstate 95
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers refer to Interstate 95 or I-95 as 95th Street. This highway runs the length of the East Coast.

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What does Left Coast refer to?
The US-Mexico Border
The West Coast
Odd-numbered highways
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers refer to the West Coast as the Left Coast. California Highway 152 is famous for accidents and is referred to as Ho Chi Minh Trail by truckers.

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If a weigh station is all locked up, it's:
Backed up
Missing
Closed
Open for business
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers stop at weigh stations regularly as a part of their job. If a weigh station is all locked up, it's closed.

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A driving award is a:
New trucker
Police officer
Speeding ticket
Lighter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A driving award is what truckers call a speeding ticket. They are given out by bears, or law enforcement officers.

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What does a chicken coop refer to?
Weigh station
Traffic stop
Accident
Headlights
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A chicken coop refers to a weight station. Often they will just be called "a coop" by truckers.

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If one trucker tells another to hammer down, what are they asking them to do?
Stop
Go faster
Wait for them
Slow down
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This refers to stepping on the gas harder to increase speed. It's the trucker equivalent of "step on it."

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What does meat wagon refer to?
Cop cars
Minivans
Any truck
Ambulances
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers refer to ambulances as meat wagons. This is a particularly morbid bit of trucker slang.

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Which of these states to truckers refer to as Shaky?
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
California
North Dakota
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers often refer to Los Angeles, and all of California in general, as Shaky. This is due to it being known for earthquakes.

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Pumpkins refer to:
Hitchhikers
Lot lizards
Orange trucks
Drinks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers have referred to Schneider trucks as pumpkins for a long time. This is because they are orange.

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What are skins?
Law enforcement officers
Tires
Headlights
Street signs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truck drivers have slang and nicknames for different kinds of vehicles and even parts of their own trucks. They often refer to their truck tires as skins.

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What does split refer to?
A junction
A pothole
A reckless trucker
Leaving a state
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When truckers refer to a split, they are referring to a junction. This is where the road splits in separate directions.

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What does 10-4 mean?
OK
No
Can you repeat that?
Help!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

10-4 means message received or OK. Some truckers just say 10.

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If a trucker is throwin' iron, what are they doing?
Speeding
Breaking laws
Putting on snow tire chains
Working hard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Trucking can be a dangerous job, especially in inclement weather. Truckers put on snow tire chains to help stay safe in winter driving conditions.

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What does Bambi refer to?
A hitchhiker
Law enforcement
A bear
A deer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bambi can refer to any kind of deer on the road. This can be a buck or doe, dead or alive.

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"Negatory" means:
No
Yes
Maybe
Danger ahead
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When talking on CB radio, truckers have a number of words they say to mean yes and no. Negatory means no - and isn't likely to be mistaken for another word.

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A stagecoach is:
A U-haul truck
A minivan
A tour bus
A broken-down truck
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers often come across tour buses on the highway. They call them stagecoaches.

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If a trucker is paying the water bill, what is he actually doing?
Drinking on the job
Literally paying the water bill
Using the restroom
Cleaning their truck
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A trucker who is paying the water bill has likely stopped at a rest stop to take a break and go to the bathroom. This is common trucker slang.

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A mama bear is a:
Female law enforcement officer
Part of the truck
Female truck driver
Driver's wife
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Truckers refer to cops as bears. This is why female cops are mama bears.

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Where is a trucker driving if they are going through the woods?
The East Coast
The West Coast
Off the highway
New York City
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Usually, truckers like to stick to highways on long journeys. If they have to leave the interstate and take secondary roads, they might say they are going through the woods.

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What is go-go juice?
Coffee
Diesel fuel
A GMC truck
A convertible
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Go-go juice refers to diesel fuel. This is because it makes trucks go.

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What do truckers call roller skates?
Minivans
U-haul trucks
Any small cars
Black ice
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Any small car on the highway might be called a roller skate by a trucker. These cars can often be annoying on large highways.

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If a trucker on CB radio is reading the mail, what are they doing?
Literally reading out their mail
Talking up a storm
Silently listening
Singing
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If a trucker is listening to others talk on CB radio but not talking, others would say that they are reading the mail. They are generally quiet.

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What does 42 mean?
Watch out
No
Yes
Stop
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

42 means yes or OK in trucker slang. Truckers often respond to questions over the radio like this.

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West Coast Turnarounds refer to:
West Coast Streets
West Coast Drivers
Uppers
Downers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is trucker slang for illegal uppers. The idea behind this phrase is that if a trucker takes them he can get back and forth between coasts without sleeping.

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A gear jammer is a/an:
Great driver
Pothole
Unpredictable driver
New trucker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A gear jammer is a driver on the road who is unpredictable. They speed up and slow down fequently.

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You Got:
/35
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