Why do fish trucks say "FISH" on them?

Do they carry fish, perhaps?

'cause BEEF would be false advertising?

A Researcher had a lock on this for a while and gave up, which
suggests that there is no good reason why they do.  Just looking at
the question too long makes the word look strange (and meaningless,
the subject of a much earlier question).

There are just so many ways to spell "fish"  - or something that
sounds like that, using all the phonetic possibilitles:  phish, fiche
(means something else), and many others that play with the vagaries of
English pronounciation for the three sounds in the word:  F  I  SH.

Seems like "fish" is the best way to identify a "fish truck" for us simpletons.

But, as nelson-ga queries indirectly, why don't tank trucks have
"TANK" written on them, instead of "Diesel Fuel" or "Milk"?

It's for people who are hard of smelling.

Because they're Christian.

http://christianjourney.com/images/fishsymbol1.gif

http://www.brethren.org/genbd/funding/extra/images/2004ichthus.jpg

Personally I like GHOTI
F  as in enouGH
I  as in wOmen
SH as in naTIon.

Maybe it might be a Govt. requirement as they go "off" so quickly?
(they don't go "on" my hook too easily!!)

Fish stink! Sometimes to the point of mimicking a chemical smell,
which if that truck happens to be involved in a serious wreck, can
cause the responders to look for leaking chemicals that are not there.
 I don't know of any law that requires them to do this, but I do know
that fish trucks all over the county are marked  like that. Same
principle for those tanker trucks marked as "WATER."  The authorities
have to know what they're dealing with.

The question should be
"Why do people waste their time on these forums?"
Why do people care if a truck says fish on it?
Obviously, some idiot put this forum on. NO ONE ON EARTH CARES ABOUT
FISH AND TRUCKS. NO ONE. STOP WASTING TIME. TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO
SOLVE GLOBAL WARMING OR WORLD HUNGER. OR BETTER YET AIDS.

unclefuncle999-ga,
Don't be so self-critical ...  ;-)

If anyone asked here for a solution to the "problems of the world", we
would, but no one asks - sensibly -  so we just try to answer what we
can.
Myoarin

unclefunkle999-ga, so that we may follow your example, please let us
know what you are doing to make the world a better place.  I for one,
participate in population control by not contributing to its increase.
 I also recycle.

Because the commodity is perishable.  Much like the "Baby on Board"
signs people put in car windows, alerting to the fact that fish are in
a truck serves the same useless purpose.  Don't honk at my "Baby on
Board" car...don't delay my FISH truck.

I'm posting this as a comment because I've spent an hour searching and
still can't find the exact regulation, so can't really post this as an
answer. However, I called my sister, who's been an over-the-road truck
driver for over 19 years, more than half of that time spent hauling
"reefers," or perishable goods in refrigerated boxes. She said that
trucks hauling fish are required to be especially identified because
of the danger of cross contamination if the containers are used for
other products, as well as odor control and other safety/hygienic
issues. She said the FDA regulates this, as they do other food
labeling/identifcation issues, and truckers hauling fish are subject
to inspection by the FDA as well as the normal DOT authorities, and
having the boxes labeled "FISH" facilitates this.

Sorry I couldn't find the exact reference, but hope this helps a bit.
At least we know it's not an entirely arbitrary thing.  Oh - and along
those lines, I did find a reference to
someone receiving a ticket for not having their truck properly
labeled. See here: http://www.co.bexar.tx.us/jp/Parks___Wildlife/parks___wildlife.htm
 Scroll down to "Commercial Fishing Violations."  The person got a
$155.00 fine for it!
So it's not that there's no good reason, just that they're not
especially forthcoming about it outside of the industry - one of those
industrial secrets, I guess!

Cheers,
Byrd-ga

There are standards for fish containers and trucks carrying fish.  Reference:

Food and Agriculture Orginization of the United Nations
SEARCH PAGE:  http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/search
CONTAINERS AND TRANSPORT: 
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/003/r1263e/r1263e07.htm

Please clarify:
what is a truck?
what is a fish?

Why do you assume they are "fish trucks"? I think that's called
"begging the question."

I have seen trucks with "FISH" printed on them that have no apparent
cool storage and do not appear to carry any food product. Also, it
seems inconsistant to require a truck carring fish to be labled FISH
but to not make this same requirement for other perishables. Is there
not a more appropriate place to denote the contents of the truck?
Perhaps the Bill of Lading or whatever other papers truck drivers
carry indicating their cargo? Why inform the general public on the
road? They have no interest. I am Quite curious myself. Wondered this
for years but I am not ready to buy the whole highly perishable or
very smelly arguments yet.