Many of the Eagle Training students are new to trucking, they've never been around trucks and do not know the terminology.  Below is a list of common terms, slang and vocabulary used in the trucking industry.

2-Speed – Also known as a 5x2, Common city transmission with an electrically operated two-speed rear end which is split shifted, giving ten total speeds

2-Speed Button – A electric switch that splits the rear axle into high and low ratios

8-Speed – It has a low and high range controlled by a range control button

10-Speed – Also known as a 5 over 5: usually consists of two 5-speed transmission shifted one after the other in the same 5-speed pattern.  It is shifted from low range to high range by use of an air powered range control button

13-Speed – A shifting pattern which combines straight shifting with split shifting

Air Tank – Tank on a tractor or trailer used to build up the air pressure needed to operate air brakes

Bed – The floor of the truck body (straight truck), or the floor of a trailer where the freight is loaded

Bleeding – Releasing air from the air lines to empty water and other foreign material.

Bobtail – Driving a tractor without a trailer (takes much longer to stop)

Bogey – Axle and frame used to link two pups to make a train

Bulk Grain Trailer - A flat bed with sides that join together and extend upward four or five feet

 

Bulkhead – Guard/wall in the front of a flatbed, it prevents freight from sliding into the cab

 

Cab – Driver’s compartment

 

Cabover – A truck with the cab located over the front axle

Catwalk – While connecting and un-connecting lines on a truck a person will stand on the catwalk, a piece of steel mesh attached to the frame behind the cab.

City Flyer – Short, single axle trailer, (less than 36 feet), used for city hauling.  Usually has a gate on the back of the trailer instead of doors

City Setting - Axles are located about ten feet from the end of the trailer

Conventional – A truck with the cab located behind the engine

Convertor Dolly - Axle and frame used to link two pups to make a train

Container – A trailer without an underframe, dollies or axles.  It’s used for shipping on boats or stacking on railroad flatcars

Coupling – Connecting the tractor and the trailer

Crank Handle – The “L” shaped handle which is normally found on the right side of a trailer; moves the dolly wheels up and down and it has two gears – low and high

Crossbow – A bowed bar across the top of an open trailer on which a tarp sits  (usually there is more than one supporting the tarp)

Dog-tracking – A trailer whose rear axle and frame are out of line causing the trailer to ride sideways

Dollies – Support legs located near the front of the undercarriage of the trailer

Double Bottom – Two small trailers joined together and pulled like a train by one tractor

Doubles - Two small trailers joined together and pulled like a train by one tractor

Dry Van – A trailer with a permanent top and permanent sides

Emergency Hose – This hose is hooked to the trailer’s emergency glad-hand on the left side and is sometimes red.  This is the hose through which air can be heard rushing out if both the emergency breakaway valve is pushed in and the glad-hand is disconnected. 

Fifth Wheel – Is a large, keyhole-shaped device on the frame of the tractor that is used to hook the trailer and the tractor together.

Fifth Wheel Release – A lever/handle located on the right side of the tractor’s fifth wheel, it releases the grip of the fifth wheel on the trailer’s kingpin

Fish Eye - A round mirror used in addition to the West Coast Mirrors.  The mirror is to enable the driver to see objects outside of the normal West Coast Mirrors.

Flatbed – A trailer without a top or sides, a bed on axles

Freewheel – To roll uncontrolled either with the gearshift in neutral or with the clutch depressed.  This is dangerous and illegal

Fruit Trailer - A flat bed with sides that join together and extend upward four or five feet

Full Screw - A tandem tractor with power going to both rear axles

Glad-hand – A coupling device used to join the air lines between the tractor and the trailer.  Both the tractor and the trailer have glad-hands

 

Governor – Mechanism in the engine which limits fuel delivered to the chambers and keeps the tractor/truck from going faster than the set speed

 

Half Side – A flat bed with sides that join together and extend upward four or five feet

 

Jackknife – Violent type of tractor-trailer accident which occurs when the trailer pushes past the tractor at a 45 degree angle

 

Jacks - Support legs located near the front of the undercarriage of the trailer

 

KingPin – Located near the front underside of the trailer, extending down toward the ground.  It’s about three inches thick and six inches in length and it fits into the “keyhole” of the fifth wheel

 

Landing Gear - Support legs located near the front of the undercarriage of the trailer

 

Lowboy – A low, slung trailer used to haul heavy equipment (cranes, bulldozers, etc.)

 

Lugging – Trying to pull forward in a gear that is too high for the speed you are going

 

Kingpin Lock – A steel lever, (about one inch wide), located inside the jaws of the fifth wheel.  The kingpin lock locks around the trailer’s kingpin and holds the tractor and trailer together

 

Marker Lights – Lights across the top of a tractor/truck which indicates 96’ vehicle width

 

Maxi-brakes – Brakes on tractors which lock-up automatically by means of spring when the air pressure drops below a designated minimum

 

Midwest Setting – Axles are located about ten feet from the end of the trailer

Mule - Slang for a tractor kept in terminal and used to move trailers in an out of docks and around yards

Oiler - Slang for diesel tractor and trailer

OTR – Over the Road, long distance travel, over 50 miles

Pigtail – An additional trailer light cord, usually smaller than the standard cord, used to adapt to an odd sized trailer socket.

Pintle Hook – Hook attached to the rear of the trailer which connects the bogey used to connect the pup trailer train

Pintle Eye – Hole in front of the bogey which connects with the pintle hook on the lead trailer in a pup trailer train

Pole Trailer – A trailer which has a frame that is expandable to 62 feet

Power Tailgate – A platform permanently attached to the back of the truck.  It raises and lowers freight.  It can be hydraulic or electrically powered

Pup – A small trailer (less than 32’), Usually two small trailers are joined together and pulled like a train by one tractor

Rag Top – An open top trailer usually covered with a tarp or canvas

Range Control Button – Air powered switch that selects high and low on the transmission

Redlining – Running the engine’s RPM’s to the danger point (usually indicated by a redline on the tachometer)

Reefer – Refrigerated trailer that keeps the temperature consistent and controlled

Rig - Slang for truck / tractor

Saddle Tank – A fuel tank hangs on the side of the tractor/truck below the cab.  Some tractors/trucks have two saddle tanks, one on each side 

Service Hose – It is always hooked to the trailer’s Service Glad-hand on the right side and is sometimes blue.  This is the hose through which air cannot be heard if both the gland-hand is disconnected. 

Single Axle – A tractor with only one rear axle or a trailer with one axle

Single Screw – A single axle tractor or a tandem tractor with power to only one axle

Sleeper – An OTR tractor with a sleeping compartment behind the front seat

Slider – A fifth wheel which can slide back and forth on the frame of the tractor or a axle which can slide back and forth on a trailer to help distribute weight

Spotter - Tractor kept in terminal and used to move trailers in an out of docks and around yards

 

Spotter Horse - Slang for a tractor kept in terminal and used to move trailers in an out of docks and around yards

Spotting Mirror - A round mirror used in addition to the West Coast Mirrors.  The mirror is to enable the driver to see objects outside of the normal West Coast Mirrors.

Stack – An exhaust pipe that sticks up from the rear corner of the diesel tractor/truck.  Sometimes there are two stacks, one on each rear corner. 

Straight Job - A truck with the cab and box assembled on one frame

Straight Shift – Straight four, five, six or seven speed gear pattern

Switching Tractor - Slang for a tractor kept in terminal and used to move trailers in an out of docks and around yards           

Tag Along – A Tandem tractor with a dead axle used for weight-bearing only

Tax Axle - A Tandem tractor with a dead axle used for weight-bearing only

Tandem – A two axle combination on a truck, trailer, or bus

Trailer Light Cord – The cord that supplies the light current to the trailer lights.  It is found between the emergency and services hoses.

Twin Screw – A tandem tractor with power going to both rear axles

Uncoupling – Unconnecting the tractor and the trailer

Van – A trailer with a permanent top

West Coast Mirrors – Large rectangular mirrors which extend outward from the doors of a tractor, truck or bus

West Coast Setting – Axles located all the way to the rear of the trailer

Wide Angle Mirrors – A round mirror used in addition to the West Coast Mirrors.  The mirror is to enable the driver to see objects outside of the normal West Coast Mirrors.

Yard Hustler  - Slang for a tractor kept in terminal and used to move trailers in an out of docks and around yards

        

Are there jobs in the trucking industry? Yes, yes and another yes. << MORE >>

Any student that ever attended Eagle knows the importance of being in class<< MORE >>

"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck.  Your profession is what you were put on the earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling"
-Vincent Van Gogh

        

CR England gave one of our students a pre-hire letter earlier and  this student,  a March 2009 graduate from Eagle Training Services Inc, is now ready to go to work. The student called CR England to confirm his orientation and was told that CR England is no longer hiring students from schools other than their own.

CR England does not have a school in Illinois and Illinois is the only state in the country that does not have transferable CDLs.  If you are in Illinois and you want to attend a CR England school verify that they will guarantee your ILLINOIS CDL.

Drive safe,
Tanya

        

Don't make me beg!<< MORE >>

The weather was pretty nice so I snapped a couple of shots of the trucks during the lunch hour.<< MORE >>

Skip lunch and get a t-shirt, it lasts longer.<< MORE >>

Don't measure a man's success<< MORE >>

When shopping for a school, smart students do their research.<< MORE >>