What's this thing called, Love? (Truckdrivers)

The tire thing is usually called a thumper.

I would call the strap a tie-down, but there might be something else that truck drivers use.

Ratchet straps. Seems to be the popular name in these parts anyway (UK).

A thumper makes a nice, little blackjack, by the way.

EdCarroll said:

And what do you call the stick with which you bonk the tires to ensure they are properly inflated?

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Pressure gauge.

I vote for tie-downs too. And the ratchet thingy is called a come-along, I believe.

A come-along is a specific tool used to pull things tight--a good example being chain link fencing--and hold them in place until they can be secured. Not everything that ratchets is a come-along. I dunno about the tire thing, but here's another vote for tie-downs.

Tie-downs. Definitely. Doesn't mean there isn't some quaint trucker slang term for them.

SarahDavidson said:

A come-along is a specific tool used to pull things tight--a good example being chain link fencing--and hold them in place until they can be secured. Not everything that ratchets is a come-along. I dunno about the tire thing, but here's another vote for tie-downs.

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Oh that's true. Some tie-downs come with their own ratchets built in. Now that I think of it, that's probably what the OP was asking for. The link goes to a picture and description of them.

I called them ratchet straps...I wasn't a trucker, but I drove a cargo van expediting cargo, until I kept getting panic attacks on the road. Anywho, ratchet straps.

I've heard them called both things during my time at transport companies. I've also heard them being called other things, especially when they come loose while hauling a four or five tonne roll of paper!

EdCarroll said:

The bus driver will say, ". . . and without my tire thumper I'll have to use my wits to get out of this one."

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But . . . will your readers know what that is, unless you've had an earlier scene where the guy used a thumper? You had to ask what it was called; I'm sure a lot of other people won't have known either.

My sister is a truck driver. She always calls them tie-downs.

Edit: I asked her today and she agree with thumper for the tire thing. She drives a flat bed truck and is very familiar with tie-downs. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me and I'll ask her.

Tie-downs, ratchet straps, ratchet ties, cargo straps - used interchangeably.

Thumper and 'tire billy'.

tie down strap

My husband was a truck driver. Called a binding strap or a tie down strap either way. A tire knocker is what you call the tire thing.