STRAYCAT’S DOGGONE BLOG

Administrative Related Jargon:

Consignee: The customer who takes delivery if the load (receiver).
CSR: Customer Service Representative. The individual at Swift who acts a a laison between Swift and a customer.
Customer: A generic term for a shipper or receiver.
Deadhead: The paid mileage from the terminus of my last load to the next shipper (empty miles).
Detention (Pay): If I arrive at a Customer (shipper or consignee) on-time, they have 2 hours to load/unload me. After 2 hours, I am paid $30.00 per hour, in 15-minute increments, until I am loaded/unloaded, up to a maximum of 8 hours ($240.00).
Dispatch: Generic term for office personnel.
DM: Driver Manager (my boss).
Drop Yard: A facility leased by Swift from another entity used to park Swift equipment
ETA: Estimated time of arrival (at customer).
Logbook: Used to document my activities for each 24 hour day, beginning and midnight.
Planner: Plans loads on drivers in a particular area or region.
Pre-Plan: A “canned” message sent to notify you of your next load.
PrePlanned T-Call: A load which is scheduled to be T-Called at a Terminal or Drop Yard.
PTA: Projected time available (for next load).
QualCom: The Satellite Communications System installed in my truck to facilitate
communication with and from Swift.
RDO: Remaining days out. Every time I leave home it is set at 14. By the time it reaches zero, I’m supposed to be back home or on the way there.
Shipper: The customer shipping the load.
T-Call: A load which is dropped ‘in transit’ at a location other than the consignee. (Reasons for this would be breakdown, home time, administrative, etc.).
Terminal: An office and parking facility which is owned by Swift.

Equipment Related Jargon:

5th Wheel: The coupler on the tractor that attaches to the trailer.
Blind Side: Backing a trailer into a dock when the passenger side of the tractor is facing the dock.
Bobtail: Driving the truck without a trailer attached.
Body: The exterior of the tractor.
Bridge: The distance between the Kingpin and the rear axles of the trailer.
Bridge Law: Laws which some States have to regulate the “bridge” distance (turning radius) of a vehicle).
Cab: The interior of the tractor.
Cable Chains: Cable traction devises.
Chains: Traction devices.
Chassis: The framework to which the 5th wheel is mounted.
Drop Delivery:  A load where you drop your trailer at the consignee, but they have no empty trailer for you to pick up. No good ever comes from this unless you are already PrePlanned on another load which does not require an empty trailer for pick up.
Drop/Hook: Dropping a trailer (loaded or empty) and picking up another trailer (loaded or empty) at the same location.
Duals: The Drive axles of a tractor.
Drives: The drive axles of the tractor.
FCFS: First come, first served.
Glad Hand: The coupler(s) which connect the tractor airlines to the trailer.
Glad Hand Lock: A security device which connects to the glad hand of the trailer to prevent theft.
Kingpin: The pin under the front of the trailer which locks into the 5th wheel of the tractor
Kingpin Lock: A security device which clamps around the kingpin to prevent theft.
PM Service: An oil change, lube and inspection of a vehicle (preventive Maintenance). Performed every 20,000 to 30,000 miles.
Post Trip Inspection: A visual inspection performed after driving has been completed for the day. Required by Swift.
Pre-trip Inspection: A visual inspection performed prior to driving. Required by DOT.
Safety Check: Another term for a Pre-Trip Inspection.
Sliders: The rails under the trailer to which the tandem axles are attached. They slide so that the weight on the axles can be adjusted to conform with D.O.T. requirements.
Splitter: The air operated device which allows shifting between high and low range in the transmission.
Steers: The steering axle of the truck.
Tandems: The axles of the trailer.
Tractor/Truck: Used interchangeably. The power unit.

Miscellaneous Terms:

BCC: Beloved Canine Companions (the doggies).
K-9 Kids: The doggies
MMM: Million Mile Mutts (the doggies).
Mm or mp: Mile marker or mile post (used interchangeably). The little green markers along the highway. They are in ascending order from south to north or west to east. California is the only exception, for some odd reason.
Neo-fascist Nanny State: Any State that has lower speed limits for trucks, puts a time limit on the time I can idle my truck, or has passed laws that restrict or ban smoking.
Trucker Lag: A term that I coined. The effect driving in different time zones has on truck drivers. Like timed-release “jet lag”.
WAG: Wild-assed guess.

C.B. Lingo:

10-4: Message received and understood.
10-7: Temporarily “out of service” (ie: lunch).
10-20: Current location.
10-21: Accident ahead.
10-22: Emergency activity ahead.
Bear: Any State Patrolman.
Big Apple: New York City.
Big D: Dallas, TX.
Big Easy: New Orleans, LA.
Bug Check: Agricultural Inspection Station.
Chicken Coop: A State Weigh Station or Inspection Facility
Circle City: Indianapolis, IN.
Comedian: The median between opposing lanes of traffic on a highway.
Corn Binder: Any truck manufactured by International Harvester.
County Mountie: A county Sherriff.
Falling Star: Any truck manufactured by Western Star.
Freight Shaker: Any truck manufactured by Freightliner.
Gator: A tire carcass in the road.
Gay Bay: San Francisco, CA (and environs).
Good Buddy: A male homosexual.
K-Whopper: Any truck manufactured by Kenworth.
Little Havana: Miami, FL.
Local Yokel: A Local Law Enforcement Officer.
Lot Lizard: A female prostitute who frequents truck stops and rest areas.
Mile Hi: Denver, CO.
Pete: Any truck manufactured by Peterbilt.
Shaky: Los Angeles, CA.
Sin City: Las Vegas, NV.
Smokey: A State Patrolman.
SNAFU: Situation Normal, All Fouled Up.
Sticker Patch: Phoenix, AZ

State Abbreviations:

AK: Alaska.
AL: Alabama.
AR: Arkansas.
AZ: Arizona.
CA: California.
DE: Delaware.
DC: District of Columbia (Washington, DC).
GA: Georgia.
FL: Florida.
HI: Hawaii.
IA: Iowa.
ID: Idaho.
IL: Illinois.
IN: Indiana.
KS: Kansas.
LA: Louisiana (or Los Angeles) depending upon the context in which it is used.
MA: Massachusetts.
MD: Maryland.
ME: Maine.
MI: Michigan.
MO: Missouri.
MS: Mississippi.
MT: Montana.
NC: North Carolina.
ND: North Dakota.
NE: Nebraska.
NH: New Hampshire.
NJ: New Jersey.
NM: New Mexico.
NV: Nevada.
NY: New York.
OH: Ohio.
OK: Oklahoma.
OR: Oregon.
PA: Pennsylvania.
RI: Rhode Island.
SC: South Carolina.
SD: South Dakota.
TN: Tennessee.
TX: Texas.
UT: Utah.
VA: Virginia.
VT: Vermont.
WA: Washington.
WI: Wisconsin.
WV: West Virginia.
WY: Wyoming.

If you couldn’t find what you were looking for here, consult your Funk and Waggonal.