Trucker Talk

TV is where a lot of children learn a vast range of vocabulary and expressions, and I am no exception. Nearly five years of living in Australia at a very young age has formed the foundation of my English, and TV dramas played a substantial role.

There was an American drama I used to watch regularly, "BJ and the Bear". It was a trucker drama, the main character travelling all over America on his long red convoy with his little chimpanzee partner Bear, and when he gets into trouble, his trucker friends would team up and help him.

The truckers talked on citizen band radio, and there were a lot of jargons that they used. I used to use these below when playing on the walkie-talkie with my brothers.

Do you copy?  - Do you get the message?

10-4   - understood.

What's your (10-)20? - Where are you?

affirmative  -  yes.

Evel Knievel - motor cyclist  (yes, drama was in the Evel Knievel's days) 

It felt cool talking in codes on the walkie-talkie, it made you feel like you were a secret agent on a mission.

Ten code (10-4, 10-20) was used in America on CB radio communication, by police and truck drivers. It was designed so that the messages were short and clear. Codes like 10-4 became publicly known to people through TV dramas and movies.

Here are some other ten codes:

10-1 : poor reception

10-2 : good reception

10-3 : end transmission

10-9 : repeat

10-23 : stand by

10-34 : trouble, help needed

10-35 : confidential

10-1000 : stop at lavatory

Stopping at for lavatory even sounds mission-like!