I knew this question would come up eventually! Allison asked, "What about the bathroom?"
Of course, I use the bathroom when we stop for fuel, showers, and at the end of the driving day. Also, the dogs need to get out about every four hours and we try to stop at rest areas for this so we can use the facilities. Occasionally, there are times when one just has to "go" and there's no time to stop the truck, or we happen to be in the middle of no where, so for those times, I have a 44 ounce plastic pop cup from the Quik Trip. It has a plastic lid and gets dumped, rinsed and dried, and kept for future emergencies. For those occasions when we have to have a bm and can't make a rest area, there's a trash can, lined with a Wal-Mart bag and paper towels. It's not exactly comfortable, but it works. Toilet paper and baby wipes are a necessity on a truck!
Some of the newer trucks do come equipped with showers and toilets, some even have mini-kitchens with cook stove and sink. These are called "apartments" and are longer than a normal tractor. They are very expensive and you may have seen them pulling moving van trailers.
Driver CB Lingo:
Remember those trucker movies from the 80's BJ & The Bear and Smokey & The Bandit? They used trucker talk like "hey good buddy" "10-4" and "breaker-breaker," while some of the speak hasn't changed, some of it has changed meaning. So here's some Trucker-speak so when you rush out and get a CB for your car, you'll know how to talk to the truckers!
Good Buddy-This used to be a reference to any truck driver who was courteous or had done some kindness, however, now it means a gay or bi-sexual trucker looking for a partner for the night
Brake Check-vehicles are slowing or coming to a stop
Breaker One Nine-someone wants to talk
Radio Check-wants to know if CB is working
Lot Lizard-male or female prostitute who works truck stops
10-4 or 10-affirmative, yes, or I understand
Smoky/Full grown/Statey/Bear-State Trooper
Care Bear-Any cop sitting in construction with lights on to slow traffic and protect workers
Plain Wrapper (any color)-Unmarked cop vehicle
Polar Bear-White unmarked cop vehicle
Kojak w/a Kodak-any cop shooting radar or taking pictures
City Kitty & Local Yokel-City cop
County Mountie-County Sheriff
Chicken Coop-weigh station
Yard Stick-mile marker
Meat wagon-ambulance
4-wheeler-any four wheeled vehicle
HazMat-Hazardous Materials require placquard on trailer
Straight truck-A truck w/tractor that doesn't detach from trailer
Bob tail-Tractor w/o trailer attached
Seat cover-A female in the passenger seat
Covered Wagon-A flat bed trailer with removable wooden sides and rails covered with a tarp
Flat Bed-A trailer used to haul heavy objects like steel, pipe, etc. and has no sides or roof, not to be confused with a step-deck, used to haul heavy equipment, or a low-boy, used to haul trucks or other large vehicles
Day Cab-tractor with just seats, no sleeper
Tanker-hauls fuel or any liquid, usually hazmat
Parking Lot-A trailer used to transport vehicles
DriveAway-A tractor that has other trucks piggy-backed on it
Reefer-hauls cold/frozen foods, sometimes hauls hazmat that requires temp. control
Dry Van-hauls any type of load not requiring temp. or humidity control
Bull Hauler-big, metal trailer that hauls livestock
Chicken hauler-flatbed loaded with metal crates hauling live foul
Boom Bar Load-These tractors have a large bar that attaches to the 5th wheel and has another tractor attached, facing rear so it can be towed
Dammit Girl-Driver has just seen a sexy woman in a four wheeler
Dammit Boy-same as above, but used by female drivers
Dammit Girl/Driver-A response used to express surprise, interest, or excitement (usually in response to a sexual comment)
Shut up stupid-a response to arguing truckers and one I hate hearing
I ain't got no panties on-usually whispered over the CB when no one is saying anything, a conversation starter, or in my case, a way to get me to turn off the CB
Some trucker's friends we met along the way
