| If you've ever heard a couple of truckers chatting | | | | Shed |
| between road haulage trips in the UK, you may have | | | | The 'shed' is simply the term for the warehouse - |
| found yourself baffled by the assortment of phrases | | | | think of it as where the 'forkies' live. |
| and expressions littered throughout the conversation. | | | | Bun Wagon |
| Well, consider the confusion gone; as I lift the lid on | | | | I must admit, I was lost for words when I first heard |
| the mystery of haulage company speak: | | | | this little gem slipped into conversation. What it |
| Wagon | | | | actually refers to is one of those mobile fast food |
| Wagon's just a standard term for one's haulage | | | | vans, which is often overly tempting to a haulage |
| vehicle. In my experience, UK road haulage workers | | | | company worker with a rumbling stomach! |
| are fiercely proud of the 'wagons' and make every | | | | Back Loads |
| effort to make them as glamorous and comfortable | | | | In normal deliveries, you take your 'load' up to the |
| a space as possible. Which seems fair enough, | | | | delivery point, then drive back and collect another. |
| considering how long they have to spend in such a | | | | The back load is a clever solution to save on fuel |
| tiny space. | | | | costs, where the driver arranges to make another |
| Tramping | | | | pickup at the drop off point, allowing them to earn a |
| This one is as a direct result of making the 'wagon' | | | | little more and save on fuel costs with a well timed |
| comfortable - many heavy haulage and logistics | | | | delivery on the journey home. |
| drivers will take to spend days at a time camped out | | | | Milk Run |
| in their 'wagons'. Extended stays in this 'home away | | | | If a haulage company's driver has a days work |
| from home' is affectionately known as 'tramping'. | | | | composing of quite a few deliveries on a set route, |
| Cab | | | | the day's work is playfully described as a 'milk run'. |
| Technically, the part of the 'wagon' that the haulage | | | | Finally, there are a couple of expressions that |
| company workers will spend their time 'tramping' in is | | | | workers in the UK road haulage industry are well |
| the front section of the lorry with the controls. This | | | | used to hearing, much to their frustration: |
| part is known, in the UK road haulage industry, as the | | | | "It's only 2 inches on the map - what's taken you so |
| 'cab'. | | | | long?" |
| Fitter | | | | Usually delivered in a frustrated tone, to regular |
| The fitter is, as you might expect, a mechanic | | | | haulage company drivers, inches on a map can be |
| charged with fixing up faulty haulage vehicles. With | | | | easily translated into an approximate delivery time! |
| the daily use the 'wagons' take, its no wonder that a | | | | "I'll call you back in a minute" |
| trip to the 'fitter' is a regular, but unwelcome part of | | | | In more professions, this means exactly what it says: |
| the UK road haulage worker's schedule. | | | | you will be called back shortly, because something |
| Forky | | | | has come up. In the world of heavy freight and |
| While it's tempting to consider this is a delightful | | | | logistics, this almost universally means "I have tired of |
| colloquialism for cutlery, in the same way as "knifey" | | | | talking to you now, and am going to end the |
| or "spooney" would be, it's actually just the term for | | | | conversation. |
| a fork lift truck driver. | | | | |