Why do truck drivers in movies honk their horns by pulling on a rope above their heads? Do trucks not have the button to activate the horn inside the steering wheel like normal cars?

Question

Why do truck drivers in movies honk their horns by pulling on a rope above their heads? Do trucks not have the button to activate the horn inside the steering wheel like normal cars?

In: 2818

Answer 1

Professional truck driver here. We have the ‘city’ horn in the center of the steering wheel. The big air horn is called the ‘country’ horn.

YES, if you ask me to honk the big horn, I’ll honk the big horn. Mind you, it’s an air horn at 115 or so PSI. It gets attention when you do it.

As for why it’s that way? The horns USED to be mounted on the roof. Due to modern aerodynamics, it’s been removed from the majority of big rigs. These days they are mounted somewhere between the rear of the sleeper.