Thought you guys might like this
Posted by guttercorpses@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 125 comments
Posted by guttercorpses@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 125 comments
Particular-Week-9521@reddit
My 'baby' is 20 years old and she still loves to hear that ole air horn blow. It makes her day!
Signal_Rip3884@reddit
This is week two for me on the road and a kid hung out the window and did the arm pump thing. I got to blow the air horn and made a kid smile made my week.
Roughrdr@reddit
I run train horns so I love to honk at kids doing the arm pump. One of the more interesting ones happened a few nights ago as I was passing a broke down van on the shoulder. Little girl and her mother both gave me the pump and I hit the button, little girl was jumping around like it was the best thing ever. Her dad (presumably) probaby had to change his drawers as he had his back towards the road.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I can just imagine an already pretty upset and nervous guy getting the snot scared out of him while loosening a lug, while the wife and kid laugh with excitement lol what a day for him
truckin2nowhere@reddit
Have trains that go by my house on elevated tracks, if kids are out pumping their arms they honk and it's great. A buddy told me recently that if kids want you to honk and you don't, you're dead inside. He's right, and it's a high point of my day if I can make a kid smile!
DoctorZebra@reddit
I still feel bad about denying an Amish kid once. I was passing an Amish hay wagon on a 2 lane highway in Pennsylvania years ago, and a little Amish kid popped up out of the hay and started pumping his fist trying to get me to honk. I felt terrible, but I would have felt worse had I spooked the horses and gotten people or horses hurt.
RINGTAILZ88@reddit
Those moments just warms my soulđ
deadpat03@reddit
See even kids don't care about flat beds.
corn0099@reddit
Trust me they do,I get the pump at times and it's second nature I give them a couple toots,they know it's the tractor that gives the noise.seeing how excited and crazy they get makes my whole day no matter how bad it could get
deadpat03@reddit
The problem is a flatbed is like visiting Thialand. Sure you get surprised when you first see it but once you see it stripped of its mystery you're let down.
RudeOrSarcasticPt2@reddit
Flat bed drivers are like a bass player in a band?
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Hey now, the bass is the backbone of the band! Poor guys never seem to get their due though, do they?
RudeOrSarcasticPt2@reddit
Oh, I agree. The drummer is the real villain, always. It was always drummers that told me those bass player jokes. So rude.
deadpat03@reddit
We all know it's the drummer that introduces drugs into the band.
RudeOrSarcasticPt2@reddit
Well of course, most drummers hang with the swim club, who have the best weed.
bshr49@reddit
The sound engineer in Jackson Browne's "Rosie" would also agree that the drummers are the villain, lol.
benny0119@reddit
Is this an American thing or is this popular elsewhere in the world? I know we love it in the US
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
We've had a couple of drivers from around the world comment that they do the same in their country, I think it's a pretty universal thing and that's fantastic
Frame1111@reddit
I deliver for a local foodservice company in my area and I regularly deliver to a k-5 school and a restaurant right next to a day care. All the kids give me the arm pump when they see me and I love it. Really makes my day to hit the horn for them once a week
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I'll bet it makes theirs too
Outside_Squirrel_839@reddit
Sometimes. Just to mess with kids I would pretend to pull the air horn while beeping the city horn. The confused look on the kids faces was so funny.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Lol that's actually pretty funny
jcstudio@reddit
I love when I am asked to horn! It makes my day!
ghettoccult_nerd@reddit
if i see a kid do the horn pump, im giving them some horn.
thats how the road blesses you.
sinceyoulikeitpickld@reddit
Love it!
mnstruggle@reddit
Me when I'm on my 30th Marlboro red in a no engine brake zone đđđđđ
Yurhuckleberry208@reddit
An air pump a day keeps the bad thoughts away.
Jaded_Concentrate974@reddit
I was in a small town that was PACKED with cars bumper to bumper and a line of buses pulled next to me at a light. They were screaming for me to honk the horn. I couldnât resist, and then got yelled at by a hard ass on the CB radio
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
What kind of cretin would yell at someone for such a thing? Was it your dispatcher or just some random nearby driver?
Jaded_Concentrate974@reddit
Another driver, old guy. I honked it 2 separate times for the different buses. I told him to ârespectfully dude, fuck offâ
Sea_Examination_9196@reddit
There are even grown people I've seen out here that never outgrew this. I've had them in cars in traffic and as pedestrians still doing the the arm motion to give them the horn. I remember us doing this to passing trucks as kids. The wildest thing is that this was never taught to us to do by anyone, but it was somehow just there. I think it was kind of the same for other people coming up, so that's why I think some people have never grown out of it.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Well said!
anydamnnamesleft@reddit
This is so awesome and true! I still get excited when a trucker honks for me!
RothonTalvanen@reddit
My two favorite arm pump stories:
First one, I was cruising along some highway in rural Missouri, carrying some farm equipment up to Iowa. There were a lot of Amish folk out that day, and so I was dodging their buggies every couple of miles. Coming up on one buggie, just as I'm about to pass I notice a couple of little Amlets in the back doing the arm pump. I didn't want to spook the horse, so it was just a little baby toot, but that absolutely made my day.
Second story was somewhere in Tennessee or maybe North Carolina, I forget exactly. Either way there was a nasty traffic jam, and I heard over the CB that there was a detour along a surface highway to get around it, so I followed the other guys off the interstate and through whatever town we were in. As it happened, that little convoy passed right by an elementary school, and the whole place was out lined up by the fence doing the arm pump. Let me tell you, I have never felt more like a king of the road than when I laid on that horn for those little buggers.
naenref76@reddit
When anyone including a child does the air horn arm pumpâŠyou have to use it. Donny Baker said itâs a state law!
AdRepresentative8236@reddit
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istayintheleftlane@reddit
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No-Till-2007@reddit
I honestly thought it was going to be a âto all the truckers fuck you for making noise!â
Brightened my day seeing I was completely wrong.
chocoholic24@reddit
Well this is just the cutest shit
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I thought so too, glad you enjoyed it đ
FWD_to_twin_turbo@reddit
There is a elementary school in Sherman, Texas that i was working close to on a demo job a few years ago and during my last few runs for the day the kids were out playing. Of course they got excited because big ol loud truck, but i couldnt do shit because they had a cop posted up just outside the playground fence, so when i passed and they shouted for the horn i just had to keep cruising.
Anywho, on my very last load i left the truck in the jobsite and walk over to the school to knock on popo's window and see if he'd be chill with some honks and he said if the school was chill with it he was too, and the two teachers on playground duty were indeed open to it, because the kids were excited by my exhaust noise anyways.
Went back to my truck and ended up circling the block so i could get a little bit of speed to jake brake through 4 gears and then hit my train horn before making my exit. Those kids going absolutely ballistic in the playground for it still makes me smile sometimes.
GHostofKC@reddit
Both the Jake and the horn? To those kids you are almost a god. I personally salute you
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Hell yes! And you know each and every one of those little dudes felt special by you doing that
Dangerous-Moods@reddit
Awe thatâs so sweet đ„č
nick-james73@reddit
I get a big dumb grin on my face anytime some kids are playing and give me the arm pump.
Gerb_the_Barbarian@reddit
Been driving since 2024, this is my favorite part of the job so far
fistfullofpubes@reddit
Lmao I read that as "how loud your mom is" đđ€Ł
Nero-Danteson@reddit
Just last weekend I was running middle of nowhere Kansas and just barely noticed a dad and his kiddo on a overpass. Several trucks just passed them up. I saw the pump as I was going under and gave my lil toot toot.
PositiveAlcoholTaxis@reddit
I was driving by 2 women with 3-4 kids waiting for the bus (UK). They started doing the horn gesture so I treated them to the ridiculous ^honk ^honk on my puddle jumper
Nero-Danteson@reddit
Hey every ^(^(toot toot))
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
It's the gesture that counts lol I'm sure you did your best
PositiveAlcoholTaxis@reddit
They all had a good giggle and I waved like a madman as well. Made me smile the rest of the day
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
You made their day, guarantee it
Nero-Danteson@reddit
Yeah. From what I could see in the mirror the kid was happy. I'm just shocked that the Pete's running through there didn't clock them. I drive for a mega so just the stock air horn on a cascadia. This was an area where the only other time I saw a mega was watching my company's containers roll by on a freight train.
Responsible-Sail-701@reddit
I love when kids ask me to blow my hornđ„č
G0DCyCL0nE@reddit
Everybody liked that.
KingHauler@reddit
One of the few things I still enjoy about driving trucks - yanking that cable for the kids.
MainConnection6742@reddit
đ§
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Not everyone is a weirdo, my friend.
MainConnection6742@reddit
And what do you do with your gutter corpses?
Also it was ment to be haha funny not an actual accusation. Sorryish.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Apologies. I just see a lot of that kind of thing on Reddit and it gets to me at times, and it's hard to know sometimes when one is joking online.
MainConnection6742@reddit
It's all good. I worked in the shipyards for way too long and we had some sick sense of humors. For example my son just asked me if he needed to drain his meat. And I looked at him funny and said what you do on your own time is up to you. (Hes making some ground beef to go with dinner , wanted to drain the fat off it) So yeah. I don't always come across correctly lol. I love this post though. Saw it earlier and was happy to see it again here. Truckers really are the best.
Unhappy-Bag4525@reddit
I had a guy in greenville flash his nipple for honk. Lol we laughed and I gave him a honk. Also had some kids on their bikes chilling on a overpass wanting toot toots. It's been a few times though I been locked in or sort of zoned out and I passed a kiddos. Of course I felt bad about that.
Rshann_421@reddit
When I was in the army I was going through a small town in my deuce and a half, drove past a school that was all out for recess. 200 kids waving and when I blew the horn they just went nuts. That was 34 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday.
psychedelicdonky@reddit
Aww this reminds me of a driving lesson where we rolled by a kindergarten on a walk, and i asked for permission to honk but the instructor grabbed the sun blocker thingy where they apparently had a button and did it for me lol
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Teaching you the REAL rules of he road lol
Existing_Inside5200@reddit
Aww that's sweet!
RichCypher@reddit
You have to be stone for this to not put a smile on your face.
Hurricaneshand@reddit
I miss my old Friday route where when I would deliver to the local pizza place the kids at the day care behind the place would all line up at the fence and wave when I was unloading. I'm generally not in a great mood. But that always brought a little joy
Jacktheforkie@reddit
It makes me smile as much as it makes the kids smile when I give the air horn a good honk
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I was definitely one of those kids who loved seeing big trucks out on the road, I always thought it was the coolest thing ever whenever my brother and I got a driver to honk for us
AlphaaPie@reddit
Road trips as a kid were the best for 2 reasons: 1. Passing a semi and doing the arm pump for the horn and getting a response! 2. I live near one of the larger Harley motorcycle events in Florida and so passing motorcycle groups and doing the hand motion thing (apparently called a shaka wave) and getting em back elicited the same feeling for me.
Jimpetey@reddit
One of the only things I miss about food service (besides the money haha) is delivering food to schools. I've never in my whole life felt cooler than when I delivered to the schools during school hours, almost every time at least one kid would do the arm pump and I'd happily oblige!
Backing the truck up through an active playground/basketball court during recess every week wasn't a good time though haha. The teachers generally got the kids out of the way but you still have to remain extremely vigilant for those backs.
Comfortable-Fan5919@reddit
I wish I could blow the train horn there, we would both like that
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
This is super wholesome.
ArdenJaguar@reddit
How cool. đ
Fasting_Monster@reddit
I drive by two grade schools when I deliver in Tucson. They always pump their arms and I always honk unless there is a cop close by
Riyeko@reddit
Got passed by a school bus today while on the way to deliver and I swear every kid on that bus had their windows open, arms out doing the arm pump.
Amazing.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I feel like the arm pump is a tradition that will never fade, hopefully
supernova-juice@reddit
As an adult with a chocolate lab who loves to hang out the window and stare at trucks, would it be weird for me to get a truck to honk for my dog? đ
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Dogs get double honks, those are the rules
supernova-juice@reddit
This makes me so happy! I've longed to do it but always chickened out.Â
How much of the interior of a car can you see if you're on the passenger side looking down? Should I open the sun roof? đ
Coiler511dA4@reddit
đ„°đ„°đ„° it's a joy for us truckers too
heebro@reddit
driving by a middle school on a beautiful sunny day in MA, 3 or 4 classrooms worth of kids out in the yard for recess. a couple of kids closer to the road are pumping their fists up and down at me. let me tell you brothers, I let her RIP! ALL the kids in that yard exploded at once, jumping and cheering for joy. made my whole month
SuperCanadian22@reddit
This right here is what makes this job worth it. If you can put a smile on a kids face and make their day better, then thatâs alright by me.
Freightshaker000@reddit
Nothing turns a bad day around quicker.
Kahuna-Man@reddit
Its the law, when kids pump there arms you have to honk the horn
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Anyone who says otherwise is an actual criminal
Amestopmodel@reddit
I was delivering heating oil a few years ago, I drove past a bunch of kids waiting for the school bus, several of them gave me the arm pump, I did not let them down. There's something about bringing a smile to kids faces that makes you feel just as excited.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Agreed, it's definitely a good feeling
Overall-Lynx917@reddit
Come on guys, there must a Trucker who can take his (or her) Rig to this school for the kids to have a look at.
Maybe do a project with an OTR driver who could send the kids pictures as they travel around the country.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
This is a great idea!
Delicious_Peace_2526@reddit
Where did they put the sign?
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I'm guessing there's probably a depot or some kind of factory that receives frequent semi traffic, they most likely posted the sign where the drivers go to check in with their loads
Delicious_Peace_2526@reddit
You donât know?
bigskycaniac@reddit
Sending honks from Central MT
SchadDad@reddit
I was rolling by a daycare playground after unloading a delivery while the kids were all outside. The teacher had her back to me against the fence, and she about jumped out of her pants when I laid on that horn. The kids loved it, but she was staring daggers at me for scaring her. Good times.
facemugg@reddit
Had all the elements of a good movie. A plot line, suspense, cute kids, an innocent bystander drawn into the drama, humor, etc. 10/10 would watch again.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Lol you guys are killing me with the horn stories, that's a good one
Formlepotato457@reddit
lol
Saichirac@reddit
Je suis un conducteur français, nous nâavons pas trop la tradition de klaxonner devant les Ă©coles car ça pourrait ĂȘtre mal interprĂ©tĂ© et vu comme dĂ©rangeant et en gĂ©nĂ©ral dans une zone oĂč il y a une Ă©cole on lâutilise seulement en cas de danger.
Par contre, quand des gosses sur un pont au dessus de la route ou autoroute nous font des signes et quâil y a pas trop dâautres usagers de la route dans les parages pour ma part jây vais franco que je sois sur un petit porteur avec un klaxon ridicule ou un semi-remorque qui va me faire un bruit de corne de brume bien badass!
hotdog11inch@reddit
That is awesome
BRICH999@reddit
I was pleasantly surprised the way that sign turned out, based on the header and the first line, i did not anticipate that sign to be a friendly one. great stuff!
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I know, when I first started reading it my eyes were already rolling at the header, but they definitely turned it around there
Early_Club_9762@reddit
I canât see an arm pump and not sound off. It gives me as a big a smile as it gives them. Donât care what age they are, arm pump gets my semi alarm ringing.
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
My uncle let me sit in the driver's seat of his Freightliner when I was probably 9-10, and the first thing I did was start looking around for the horn. He already knew what was going through my head and just hammered the horn immediately lol, must set off his semi alarm as well
Early_Club_9762@reddit
The horn is our alarm. It notifies others we are awake lol.
Teri_Dee@reddit
Awe, itâs always nice to have a little appreciation
captain-ron-1976@reddit
I wish I drove by there
Teri_Dee@reddit
SameâŠ
JankyMark@reddit
Me too
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
Maybe they don't have any traumatized or autistic kids? That's why I avoid using the air horn around schools.
Ok_Victory_231@reddit
I love how wholesome this is. đđ»
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
I like to see things like this as well, helps to remind me that the world isn't ALL bad, you know?
kickniteasy@reddit
That's awesome. Reminds me of a time we were paving a neighborhood with an elementary school in it. Got to follow the rules so we would blow our horn for an arm pump if they were at recess or whatever. HOA contacted police and DOT was out there three days in saying they got a complaint about excessive use of horns. We explained and DOT guy said "Well, if they keep complaining I'll probably be delayed processing that until you guys are done".
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
It's good to hear that he let his humanity outshine his "duties" in that case. It's crazy to me that someone would take a complaint that far, they must've never had any fun as kids I guess
delawder29@reddit
đ„č
acamberos84@reddit
Yes very much
Jamo3306@reddit
Awww! Good bless the little tykes! đ„Čđ
Semi__Competent@reddit
This is one of the sweetest things Iâve ever seen. It makes my day every time I get to honk for someone!
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
Glad you got a smile out of it!
driver004@reddit
Meanwhile I blew my horn for some kids in the center of a weird Mennonite compound and the dirty looks I got.
No regrets I got my POD
guttercorpses@reddit (OP)
"weird Mennonite compound" and the visualizing this happening is hilarious
driver004@reddit
They wouldnât let me leave without some media. These were some kind of splinter group for sure. Donât want to be too specific a client is a client even if weird
Ceepeenc@reddit
Thatâs fuckin awesome.