Meaning & use
keep on trucking
Last updated
Meanings
verbidiominformalslang
To continue steadily with something difficult or tiring without giving up.
Grammar: Fixed expression with no object; keep changes form: she keeps on trucking, he kept on trucking.
Patterns
- keep on trucking
The hikers were exhausted but kept on trucking up the hill.
Even when sales were slow, the shop owner kept on trucking.
Just keep on trucking and the work will get done.
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous
An informal way of encouraging someone to carry on, or a casual reply meaning that life is going along as usual.
Grammar: Often said as a goodbye or as an answer to a greeting.
Patterns
- Keep on trucking!
'How's it going?' 'Oh, just keep on trucking.'
'Keep on trucking,' she told the tired runners.
He waved goodbye and said, 'Keep on trucking, friend.'
Word forms
| third person singular | keeps on trucking |
|---|---|
| past tense | kept on trucking |
| past participle | kept on trucking |
| -ing form | keeping on trucking |
Common combinations
- just keep on trucking
- When things are tough, just keep on trucking.
- keep on trucking through
- They kept on trucking through the storm.
- keep on trucking despite
- She kept on trucking despite the setbacks.
- tell someone to keep on trucking
- The coach told the team to keep on trucking.
- still keep on trucking
- At ninety, he is still keeping on trucking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- carry on
- Carry on is the neutral British and general way to say continue, while keep on trucking is cheerful and slangy.
- persevere
- Persevere is more formal and shows a strong, determined effort, whereas keep on trucking is relaxed.
- soldier on
- Soldier on suggests continuing bravely despite hardship, a little more serious than keep on trucking.
- press on
- Press on stresses moving forward with a goal, while keep on trucking is just keep going.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: keep on trucking or keep on truckin'? keep on trucking or keep truck?
keep on trucking vs keep on truckin'
Keep on truckin' is the same expression written to show casual speech, with the g dropped.
keep on trucking vs keep truck
Keep truck is not an English expression; the phrase needs on and the -ing form trucking.
Practice
The marathon was almost over and everyone was tired, but the coach shouted, 'Come on, keep on ___!'
Choose one answer.
Keep on trucking uses the -ing form after on. Trucks, trucked and to truck do not fit the fixed idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keep on trucking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.