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

For a long time trucks and buses and other large vehicles used those lanyards attached to the roof to activate their horns. They just used a different type of horn than cars did and that’s how they worked.

Modern trucks usually just have wheel mounted horns like cars do but a couple still use the lanyards.

They still do it in movies because it’s become a recognizable trope for audiences, just like how swords make that loud “shhhhhiINK” sound when unsheathed (they don’t), or any pistol makes a mechanical cocking sound when being picked up or waved around when most pistols don’t even have hammers anymore.