roll the trucks
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To alert and deploy ARFF emergency vehicles to the scene of an aircraft accident, incident, or emergency landing on or near an airport.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
About 2211:04, the first officer contacted the ground controller to inform him that aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) was needed because of a cargo fire. The controller then confirmed that the first officer was reporting an aircraft fire and stated, about 2211:24, 'we're gonna roll the trucks
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “roll the trucks” mean?
To alert and deploy ARFF emergency vehicles to the scene of an aircraft accident, incident, or emergency landing on or near an airport.
Is “roll the trucks” formal or informal?
roll the trucks is generally slang.