The skinny

A narrow stretch of road or shoulder where a wide load barely fits.

'The skinny' is the tight spot — a narrowed lane, a pinched shoulder, a bridge or work zone where there isn't much room to spare for a wide load. A lead escort calls the skinnies ahead and holds oncoming traffic; a chase car calls 'cleared the skinny' once the load is safely through. Clear communication on the skinny is the difference between a smooth pass and a mirror-clipping mess.