HGV Driver Slang: Common Terms UK Truckers Actually Use

When you hear an HGV driver say HGV, a heavy goods vehicle used for transporting freight in the UK. Also known as lorry, it is more than just a big truck—it’s a mobile workspace with its own language. If you’ve ever listened to a radio chatter between drivers on the M25, you’ve probably heard words like "dog and bone," "bottle and glass," or "bin lorry"—none of which have anything to do with actual dogs, bottles, or garbage bins. These are HGV driver slang, the informal, often rhyming terms used by UK truckers to communicate quickly and discreetly. It’s not just slang for fun; it’s practical shorthand that saves time and avoids confusion on busy roads.

This language didn’t come from nowhere. It grew from decades of drivers needing to talk about loads, routes, and police without sounding like a textbook. Terms like "bin lorry, the UK term for a waste collection vehicle, often used in official HGV training and licensing materials" aren’t just casual—they’re the official names you’ll see on council route maps and in driver exams. Same with "dustcart, an older but still used synonym for a refuse collection vehicle in British English"—you’ll find it in old manuals and heard from veteran drivers. Even "dog and bone, Rhyming slang for "phone," used by drivers to avoid saying "call" over the radio" isn’t just old-fashioned; it’s still alive in break rooms and motorway service stations. Understanding these terms isn’t about sounding cool—it’s about knowing what your instructor, dispatcher, or fellow driver really means when they say "watch out for the dustcart ahead." It’s part of the job.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a dictionary of odd phrases. It’s real-world context. You’ll see how terms like "bin lorry" tie into licensing exams, why drivers avoid saying "police" out loud, and how slang changes from one region to another. Some of these terms show up in training materials without explanation, leaving new drivers confused. Others are passed down from driver to driver, never written down. We’ve pulled together the most common ones—ones you’ll actually hear on the road—and showed you where they fit in the bigger picture of HGV driving in the UK. No theory. No fluff. Just the language you need to know.