There’s nothing as fulfilling as being able to use a CB radio to communicate with other drivers on the open road. It offers unparalleled convenience and allows you to get a lot of information about different routes.
However, buying and installing a CB radio on a truck is usually the easy part. The one thing that will truly set you apart a CB radio user is the knowledge of some of the CB 10 codes and CB slang.
CB 10 codes offer a shorter way of communicating with other drivers on the road, and this makes them ideal for conveying certain kinds of messages.
Why Should You Learn CB Radio Codes and Slang?
There are plenty of reasons why you should learn a few of the CB codes and slang. For one, they help you say a lot more in the limited space available. An entire statement like “there’s a fire at this location” can be shortened to “10-70”. This gives room for more people on the channel to respond or communicate with one another.
In addition, they help you gain respect from peers. Other drivers on the road are likely to respond positively if you use trucker slang or some of the CB 10 codes. After all, truck drivers created CB slang to prevent civilians from understanding them.
Top 10 CB Codes
There are a whole bunch of CB codes. However, these are the top 10 most commonly used CB codes.
- 10-1 Receiving a poor signal
- 10-2 Receiving signal clearly
- 10-3 Stop transmitting
- 10-4 Message received
- 10-5 Relay a message
- 10-6 I’m busy, please stand by
- 10-7 Out of service
- 10-8 In service, subject to call
- 10-9 Repeat message
- 10-10 Transmission completed, standing by
CB Codes for help
You can use these codes in case you stumble across someone/something that needs immediate attention.
- 10-37 Wrecker needed at
- 10-38 Ambulance needed at your location
- 10-70 Fire at a certain location
- 10-200 police needed at your location
CB Codes for Weather/Road Conditions
- 10-13 Advise on weather/road conditions
- 10-33 Emergency traffic at the station
- 10-42 Traffic accident at a location
- 10-43 Traffic tie-up at a location
CB Codes for Transmission/Communication
- 10-11 Talking too fast
- 10-26 You can disregard the last message
- 10-32 Radio check
- 10-39 Your message has been delivered
- 10-44 I have a message for you
- 10-64 Your message is not clear
- 10-67 All units comply
- 10-75 You are causing interference
CB Codes Regarding Channels
- 10-27 I’m moving to a new channel
- 10-41 Kindly tune to this channel
- 10-93 Check my frequency on this channel
CB Radio Slang
Other than the CB 10 codes, you should also know some CB radio slang. They offer a great way of keeping the conversation going.
Acknowledgement CB Radio Slangs
- Affirmative – Means yes
- 42 – May mean yes or okay
- Copy – Transmission acknowledged
- Roger – Affirmative
- Negatory – Negative/no
Law Enforcement CB Radio Slangs
- Taking pictures – Used to let you know that law enforcement is using a radar gun
- County Mountie – County police
- Bear in the air – A law enforcement aircraft may be monitoring speeds of vehicles below
- Bear bite – Speeding ticket
- Evil Knievel – A police officer on a motorcycle
CB Radio Slangs to Describe People/objects
- Rambo – Someone talking tough on the radio
- Roller skate – A small car (four-wheeler)
- Ratchet jaw – Someone who talks a lot and takes time without letting others get a chance to talk
- Bird dog – Radar detector
- Dragonfly – Truck with no power
- Big road – Big highway
- Bambi – A deer that may be dead or alive
- Crotch rocket – A fast motorcycle
- Meat wagon – An ambulance
- Skateboard – A flatbed trailer
- Sesame street – Channel 19 on the CB radio (popular among truck drivers)
- Motion lotion – Diesel fuel
- Chicken loop – A weigh station
- Bear bait – Speeding vehicle
- Bubba – Alternative way of calling another driver
- Having shutter trouble – feeling sleepy and having trouble staying awake
CB Radio Slangs to Describe Position
- Back door – Something behind you
- Front door – Something in front of you
- Home 20 – A driver’s home location. “What’s your 20?” is the same as “where are you?”
CB Radio Slangs to Describe Signal Transmission
- Mud duck – Weak radio signal
- Holler – It means “call me on the radio”
- Breaking up – Means your signal is fading away
- Key up – Pushing the transmit button on the CB radio’s microphone
- Key down – Talking over someone who was trying to transmit
CB Radio Slangs to Describe Movement
- Back it down – Slow down
- Back out of it – Means you could not keep up speed and had to downshift. Commonly used when trucks are climbing steep inclines.
- Downstroke – Driving downhill
- Georgia overdrive – Putting your transmission into neutral on a downstroke
- Gouge on it/hammer down – Go faster
- Moving on – Heading down a road
- Triple digits – Driving over 100 mph
CB Radio Slangs to Describe Truck
- Greasy side up – A flipped over vehicle
- Grossed out – Means your total vehicle weight is at maximum
- Bull hauler – A livestock hauler
- Buster brown – UPS truck/driver
- Pigtail – Electrical connection that runs from the truck to the trail
- Too many eggs in the basket – Refers to overload weight
Bonus Tips
Other than knowing the CB slang and a few of the codes, here are some other tips you should remember.
Be patient
Always wait until the person that was talking on the channel is done before hollering. In general, cutting into anyone’s conversation is bad etiquette and you should avoid it.
Avoid name-calling
Refrain from calling people names like “good buddy”. Not all truck drivers have adapted to the new and more tolerant social era today.
Be polite
Truckers are polite to equally polite drivers. You should thus be polite and respectful to other drivers, especially if you are a four-wheeler.
Wrapping Up
You need not master all the CB 10 codes or know all the different slangs in one day. The best way is to only know a handful to get you started and you’ll be a natural in no time. Nevertheless, you should strive to know the most important codes or slang that you find useful first. In addition, remember to be courteous and polite lest you become a ratchet jaw.