Trucker Lingo Folklore

There have been several Occupational groups that I have belonged to without even realizing it was a type of folklore. The latest group was a truck driver. It is like a rite of passage to hear a couple of “trucker” ghost stories as you embark on your new driving career. Another characteristic of folklore within the group is the “trucker lingo.” Some examples of this would be the following: Anteater which was a name given to a truck design that came out in the early 1990’s, Alligator which refers to the debris a big rig tire blowout leaves on the road-the tread resembles alligator skin, and Smokey Bear which got its origins from Smokey the Bear because State Police wear the same hat and term was even used in the movie Smokey and the Bandit referring