How to tie a Trucker's Hitch

[sendahojust1]

This is an awesome very easy way to tie and untie the truckers hitch, but there's even easier. Just form a slip knot by making a loop and pull another loop through that loop, but "be sure to" bring the second loop from the rope that is closest to the object that your tying/looping around, otherwise the slip knot will tighten down on your line that you poked through the loop and it will be very hard to untie.

[kensyootoob]

Dude! That little trick when you twist before making the loop is excellent! You've marked me for life. Thanks so much.

[christyh333]

A good quick truckers, seems good to me, will look at the other versions to see if they are better. Also good as a nautical knot. A knot is no good if it cannot be untied, but it should not untie under load either.

[ramanand15]

i agree with zigenoony. safety comes first . Under no circumstances the loop should come looose.

[g7vgg]

Thats NOT a trucker hitch!...Seems I'm gonna have to make a video to show you how to do it as you obviously have'nt got a clue.

[geoffdoor]

don't forget chris evans show is shit

[rdhatch]

Better options for your loops would be:

1.) Alpine Butterfly. Absolutely the most secure loop you will find. Easy to undo after being under load, but will need to be untied.

or

2.) Marlin-spike Hitch. Much more secure than your twisting-loop. It will not slip, your twisting loop will slip and it will bind up under stress. Another benefit to the Marlin-spike hitch for your loop is it will auto-release when you're finished.

[BrianStollery]

Hi Dan

Thanks for the video!

What thickness gauge of rope should I use for a camping tarp?

Please advise

Thanks

[iq201]

I prefer an overhand slip for the loop.  It stays and is simple.

[titetie]

Hi have you ever seen my product the TiteTie? Much better than a truckers knot. Find out about TiteTie on my YouTube channel

[913los]

check my channel for the way it is done in the world of Stage Rigging

[913los]

Not bad, but you need one more twist on the loop or the rope will since on itself "hard to undo:"! I prefer to finish with a slip knot, like you intend to do but missed.

[sted904]

Try tying a knot like that in Australia and see how long u last in a job. I've sacked mongs for using stupid knots like that. THAT IS NOT A "TRUCKERS" HITCH.

[littlescotty1987]

i agree, this is the most usless, unhelpful thing i have ever seen! im sure most GIRL GUIDES can tie better knots then this!

[obfg2]

NOT a truckers hitch.

I worked for 6 years rigging whitewater rafts, and another 4 tying down loads on trucks.

That is NOT a truckers hitch.

[Cloud9sa]

If any of my drivers used a knot like that they would be sacked. There is much better knots to use that dont need a knife to undo when they get wet.

[yeahithasahemi]

info good

quality of vidow, needs improvement

[liketadied]

Hard to believe my dad was a bosuns mate and I have to rely on youtube posts to teach me how to tie knots lol ,he just never showed me lol!!!Great info not suitable for heavy loads though it can slip this is good for tarp, great info thanks

[mazeman01]

Thanks for that demo.

[lockdoctor2]

That's a good variation on the truckers hitch. Been using the figure of 8 version myself and you are right it can get tight and difficult to undo. Thanks for posting

[filly4billy2002]

I've seen the 'truckers knot' done before but didn't catch how to do it. This is great for securing my tarps over my hay.

Thanks for posting!

[zigenoony]

this is not a secure enough tie for a load. only appropriate for household needs, not for transportation.

[KnottyDan]

What's a good, convenient alternative?

[zigenoony]

Stay with the figure 8. Safety ALWAYS comes before convenience mate. My brother was killed because of an unsecure load.

[KnottyDan]

Whoa, sorry to hear that. You convinced me, but I live in an agriculture area and this knot is prevalent among the produce truckers here. Very common here with the number of half hitches increased as needed. Take care and watch out for those "funnel-web spiders"

[Brizzy55]

@KnottyDan the problem with the form of the hitch you've shown (which is shown also in many knot reference books) is that the slip knot loop can become smaller under load, and this increases the size of the large loop, which makes the whole rope tie looser. Try it for yourself. Tie the knot and see how big the large loop is. Now make the slip knot loop smaller by pulling some rope through, and see how the large loop is now made even larger (ie the whole system becomes looser).

[Brizzy55]

@Brizzy55 the reason it doesn't happen under lighter loads is due to rope friction. But under the type of jerking loads that a truck going over a rough road causes with a decent weight cargo, the hitch you've shown can gradually loosen.

[Mmmyess]

@Brizzy55 I see your point, but rather than end with two or three half hitches, I end with a tautline hitch, which can be pulled as tightly as need be and won't come loose.

[Brizzy55]

@Mmmyess it doesn't matter how secure one makes the final knot of the tag end. The hitch shown can loosen/slacken when the slip-knot loop "slips' and becomes smaller under heavy load. When this happens, the larger loop lengthens and the rope tying down the load becomes looser. Try it for yourself. Make the hitch, then reduce the size of slip-knot loop and see what happens to the tautness of the rope. You can't reduce the size of the small loop with a figure 8 knot because it doesn't slip.

[Mmmyess]

I see your point!  Please see my video response (should be right under the video at the top of this page) that acknowledges your point but also shows how it's not a problem.

[Brizzy55]

@Mmmyess nice video! I wish I could do the same... as describing things in text is pretty darn difficult. The point you make about the slip knot being unable to move because of the large loop being tied to it, is an illusion. The only reason why the rope doesn't slip is friction. As the slip knot gets smaller, the end that you state that is preventing it from moving, actually moves with it because the dwindling slip knot is feeding the large loop and... (continued next post)

[Brizzy55]

@Brizzy55 (continued from nearby post)... allowing the slip knot to move. The unstable system would be best displayed by using pulleys instead of the slip knot and rail. This would take out the effect of friction. The system under heavy loads will slacken. Try it yourself. Tie the knot. Then help the slip knot get smaller. The system goes slacker.

[Mmmyess]

@Brizzy55 I hear ya, I hear ya! I no longer disagree with you, but I *DO* have a solution! Video coming...eventually.

[nekonekoban]

How is that loop less secure than a figure 8?

[zigenoony]

a) you have lost tension by position where you have

and b) you need a rope rail under gunnel rail so as to keep it secure.

[thomasgovier]

Truckers do not like spoiling ropes with knots that cannot be untied, and the suggested knot is not good enough to solve the problem, plus their rope is often extremely long which would mean drawing hundreds of feet of rope, and the use of the half hitch method to make a loop around the standing part, this problem is solved. This is not shown here.

[thomasgovier]

Secure if properly made, used by many truckers and use it myself. However, the video INCORRECTLY shows how to do this. It shows the person making the loop then taking the end of the rope and feeding it through. If he were a trucker, his rope would be very long, and pulling several hundred feet through the loop would take a long time. Sorry to hear about your brother, but the reasons cannot be solely on the knot - several factors come into play when a load falls.

[chris016]

yeah, i agree...the ropes i use are far too long to mess around feeding the ends through loops. its a good point. plus...he's using a piece of string....whats he tieing down? a news paper?

[Barnekkid]

Use shorter rope.

[thomasgovier]

Show me a trucker who will cut his rope - he has different size loads. Plus, tying a knot in the rope means having to untie it, often with the help of some pointed object to untie a tight knot. The correct way is still the half-sheepshank. Use two hitches to make more secure.

[Barnekkid]

Who said anything about cutting rope? Most of the drivers I ever knew carried different lengths of rope. So what, you only haul one size load all the time? What kind of truck do you drive Tommy boy?

[titetie]

Nice demo, check out this new product called TiteTie at Home Depot or on the web for an easier Truckers Knot.

tite-tie

[wanab12]

Much easier and quicker and I might even remember how to do it when I need it. Thanks Dan.

[humanityiloveyou]

Thanks for the info.