A truckie is a firefighter whose primary duties involve search and rescue, ventilation, forcible entry, and placing ladders, rather than pulling hose lines and flowing water. They ride on aerial apparatus, such as ladder trucks or tower ladders, and carry specialized hand tools like halligans, axes, and hooks. The distinction between truckies and engine company personnel creates a strong cultural divide in many larger fire departments.
Tell the truckies to get to the roof and open it up before we push in with the line.
Engine crews often joke that truckies just break things and leave, while truckies claim engine crews just follow the path they cleared.
Also heard as
- truckman
Related terms
Engineer
The firefighter responsible for driving the apparatus and operating the pump.
Firefighter
A trained first responder tasked with extinguishing fires, executing rescues, and mitigating hazardous materials incidents.
Tower ladder
An aerial fire apparatus featuring a telescopic boom with an enclosed platform at the tip.