Knot of the Week: Trucker’s Hitch

Our Knot of the Week series continues this week with reader requested knot called the Trucker’s Hitch.

The Trucker’s Hitch is a fairly involved knot, but it produces a much more reliable hitch than some we’ve reviewed here.

It’s primary purpose is to secure a load on a vehicle, cart, or in earlier days, a wagon.

This is why the Trucker’s Hitch is sometimes referred to as a Wagoner’s Hitch.

The knot is tied by wrapping a lashing around a fixed anchor point such as an eyelet or post and creating a pulley-like tightening system.

There are many different ways known to tie the Trucker’s Hitch, and this article is simply one example.

Trucker’s Hitch » Hitches

(Strength: 4/Secure: 4/Stability: 4/Difficulty: 4)

Please refer to our Knot of the Week introduction post for a description of what these ratings mean.

Uses:

• Securing a load to a vehicle, cart or wagon
• Creating an secure taught-line

Tying Instructions:

1. Create a Figure-Eight Knot in your line with plenty of slack
2. Take the working end, and pass it back through the top of the Figure-Eight, creating a bight
3. Flip the knot over and wrap the working end around your anchor point
4. Continue to pass the working end back through the created bight and pull to tighten
5. Tie off with two half hitches to secure the Trucker’s Hitch

View the gallery below and follow along with the steps above!