Trucker's Hitch

To tie the knot move the mouse along the numbers 1 - 11.

Use: The Trucker's Hitch (Lorry Hitch, Haymaker's Hitch, Harvester's Hitch) (ABOK # 2124, p 344) has the distinctive feature of providing a three to one purchase when being tightened. The variety of names for this hitch is a tribute to its widespread use. It is a valuable knot - particularly for securing loads or tarpaulins.

Structure: There are several variations. The animation above is widely used today. It is composed of three parts: a loop, a purchase, and two half hitches. An eye is formed by twisting the rope after which a loop is passed through the eye. The purchase is then created by passing the free end round the hook and then back through the loop. After tightening, the tail is used to tie two half hitches below the original loop.

Classical Structure: The picture on the right shows the version in early descriptions. A figure eight loop is used to form the initial loop. However, this tends to be hard to untie after heavy loads and the version above is now preferred.

Taking the Strain: After the free end is threaded and tightened, the load can be taken temporarily by pinching the rope where it passes through the loop. The other hand is then used to form the two half hitches.

Other Variations: The animations above show two versions of a Trucker's Hitch. However, there are other variations, e.g., one in which the first loop is a simple Slip Knot (left), or overhand loop; and the final part is a Rolling Hitch tied round the same single rope rather than using two half hitches tied round both strands. This facilitates tightening the hitch by sliding the rolling hitch to take up the slack.

Slip Knot: The slip knot is described by Ashley (ABOK # 44, p 14) as a stopper knot which can be "slipped instantly by pulling on the end". Knitting instructions describe the slip knot as the first knot to be made when "casting-on". However, the illustrations appear to show a noose.

The Noose (right) looks similar but it tightens when pulled. In survival courses the noose has been recommended as a technique for attaching a rope to a plastic tarpaulin: put a medium-sized pinch of dirt on the plastic. Use the dirt to form a pouch, or button, and then tighten a noose around the neck of the pouch. The other end can then be secured to a tree or a stake in the ground.