Talk Like A Trucker: Getting The Most Out Of Your UTV CB Radio

December 24, 2014

Truck drivers are the backbone of our country. Traversing thousands of miles a week hauling everything from produce to lumber, if it weren't for truckers we wouldn't have immediate access to many of the products we use daily. The brotherhood of truckers is one in which they look out for one another providing updates on traffic, road conditions, and the location of Bears on the road, as well as keeping each other company, communicating via their Citizen Band (CB) Radio.

PCI Race Radio 3 While truckers are the most common users of CB radios, they are the preferred method of communication with off road enthusiasts, especially Polaris RZR and other UTV owners, where desolate locations limit cell phone service from spotty to non-existent. Outfitting your UTV with a CB radio can come in handy in emergency situations when there is an accident or your vehicle breaks down and you need help. With setups like the California Ultimate 4 and Ultimate 2 packages from PCI Race Radios you can not only install a CB in your UTV but also add an intercom allowing you to communicate within your car with up to three other people. Each kit comes with everything needed for installation and depending on the package, comes with either two or four headphone/speaker sets that can be mounted inside your helmet.

PCI Race Radio 2 Along with the intercom you can also integrate your smartphone or mp3 player into the package allowing all your passengers to listen to music through the headsets. Then when someone wants to speak the Push-To-Talk (PTT) intercom system will cut down the music volume so you can hear what people are saying. This is a very useful feature as it allows you to communicate with passengers in the back where normally noisy conditions would pretty much limit you to sign language for communication. The intercom also works through the CB radio so that you can communicate with others in your caravan without broadcasting over an open CB channel.

PCI Race Radio4 Over the years the trucker brotherhood has developed its own slang and terminology for everything from identifying their location to warning about a cop up ahead. But why should truckers have all the fun with their own lingo? We've collected a list of words and terms from the trucker world that we felt would apply or could be adapted to UTV riders and passengers. This way you can let your convoy know, "We need to back off the hammer, there's a Kojak with a Kodak at the back door and he looks to be itching to hand out some driving awards."

Let's start with the basics, the 10-codes

(Picked up from wearecb.com)

10-1: Receiving Poorly
10-2: Receiving Well
10-3: Stop Transmitting
10-4: Ok, Message Received
10-5: Relay Message
10-6: Busy, Stand By
10-7: Out of Service, Leaving Air
10-8: In Service, subject to call
10-9: Repeat Message
10-10: Transmission Completed, Standing By
10-11: Talking too Rapidly
10-13: Advise weather/road conditions
10-17: Urgent Business
10-20: My Location is/What's your Location?
10-21: Call by Telephone
10-25: Can you Contact ______
10-26: Disregard Last Information/Cancel Last Message/Ignore
10-27: I am moving to Channel ___
10-28: Identify your station
10-32: I will give you a radio check
10-33: Emergency Traffic at this station
10-34: Trouble at this station, help needed
10-35: Confidential Information
10-36: Correct Time is _____
10-38: Ambulance needed at _____
10-39: Your message delivered
10-41: Please tune to channel ___
10-42: Traffic Accident at _____
10-43: Traffic tie-up at _____
10-44: I have a message for you (or ____)
10-45: All units within range please report
10-50: Break Channel
10-62: Unable to copy, use phone
10-65: Awaiting your next message/assignment
10-67: All units comply
10-73: Speed Trap at _____
10-75: You are causing interference
10-84: My telephone number is ____
10-85: My address is _____
10-91: Talk closer to the Mic
10-92: Your transmitter is out of adjustment
10-93: Check my frequency on this channel
10-100: Need to go to Bathroom
10-200: Police needed at _____

And now for the lingo

(picked up from thetruckersreport.com, Wikipedia, and Jalopnik)

Advertising: Law enforcement vehicle with its lights flashing
Alligator: Blown tire in toad
Alligator radio: CB operator who is "All mouth and no ears"
Ankle biter: Small child
Antler alley: Deer crossing
Baby bear: Rookie cop
Back door: Behind you
Back 'em up/back off the hammer: Slow down
Backslide: Return trip
Back out: Driver has finished talking
Band-aid buggy: Ambulance
Bear: Police officer
Bear in the air: Police in helicopter
Bear bait: Speeding car
Bear cave: Police station
Bear trap: Stationary police w/radar
Better half: Significant other (wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend)
Big slab/big road: Interstate
Bird dog: Radar detector
Brake check: Traffic is slowing ahead, possibly to a stop
Break: Need others to quit talking on CB to ask a question
Black eye: Headlight out
Blew my doors off: Passed with great speed
Bumper sticker: Car too close to bumper
Catch ya on the flip flop: See ya on the return trip
County mounty: Sheriff
Clean shot: Road is clear of police ahead
City Kitty: City police
Comin in loud & proud: Strong CB signal
Cash register: Toll booth/pay station
Chicken coup: Weigh station
Coffin dodger: Old person driving too slow
Crotch rocket: Motorcycle
Disco lights: Cop lights flashing
Dragon Fly: A car who "drags" up a hill and "flies" down
Double nickel: 55 Miles per hour
Dirty side: The east coast
Driving award: Speeding ticket
Drop the hammer: Hit the accelerator and go for it
Evil Knevil: Motorcycle cop
Flip flop: U-turn or return trip
Front door: Riding your direction but farther ahead of you
Full grown bear: Highway patrol
Georgia overdrive: Put into neutral going down a hill to increase Speed
Granny lane: Slow lane
Greasy side up: A car with its wheels in the air
Greasy stuff: Snow or ice
Hammer lane: Left lane [Fast Lane]
Hammer down: Move faster
Hand: Driver
Handle: CB nickname
Home 20: Your home
Keep the shiny side up & rubber side down: Have a safe trip
Kojak with a kodak: Cop with a radar gun
Large car : Very fast, nice truck
Left coast: West coast
Meat-wagon: Ambulance
New sneakers: New tires
North bound in the south bound: Wrong way driver
Pickle park: Rest area
Radio check: Does my radio work?
Sesame Street: CB channel 19
Sail boat fuel: Running on empty
Salt shaker: Snow plow
Seat cover: Female passenger
Shooting you in the back: Police behind you hitting you with radar detector
Shake the bushes: Run ahead of others to lure out the bears
Split: Where two routes break away from each other in different directions
Stand on it: Stand on the gas pedal
Taking pictures: Police using radar
Triple digit ride: Exceeding 100 MPH
Wally world: Wal-Mart
Yard stick: Mile marker
Yo-Yo: Someone who constantly speeds up and slows down
Zipper lane: The lane were two roads merge