The Perfect Trucker's Hitch!

I put together some ideas from ‪@First_Class_Amateur‬ and ‪@OutdoorAcademyAustralia‬, and one of my own, and came up with the perfect way to tie a trucker's hitch.

[@steven.h0629]

Finally someone teaching a proper Truckers Hitch.. been in use since the Vikings sailed the seas.

[@markm8188]

They had no trucks back then. 🤔

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Thanks. The main value of this version is that you don't have to find the end of the line and thread it through a loop. And the half-sheepshank is frequently plenty secure enough. But of course, under jerky conditions, it's not dependable.

[@New2chem]

@@markm8188 for tying loads down on boats

[@mydearriley]

@@yourknotunderstanding I don't understand why it's ever taught differently. Thank you for putting this method into a video!

[@WahrheitMachtFrei.]

You can massively increase the stability and dependability of this version by simply making TWO twists in the initial loop at 1:30. As stated, this can fail under load, or if that loop is manipulated once tied, but if you make two initial twists, the line will snap under tension before that loop fails.👍👍

[@KeepItSwift]

This is among one of the fastest Trucker's hitch hand techniques I've seen so far. Same neat autolock Blackwall hitch that Flynn's Trolley knot used. Very nice! Bowline, although very commonly used, might snap with heavy tension, so a secure Bowline variant might be better in certain cases. For added security, the half sheepshank loop can be tied onto the main line, mentioned as a Trucker's Sheepshank in another video. Hope to see more! Cheers!

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Yes. I end up achieving what Flynn achieves here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z52vnKKNf7WgitU By sending the line around the adjacent taut line before coming back into the loop and under itself, the blackwall hitch is made much more stable. A blackwall hitch through a free-standing loop (without the support of an adjacent taut line) is very unstable. Flynn achieves his results by threading the end of the line through the loop. My way avoids touching the end of the line. I came up with my idea before seeing Flynn's knot. But of course I cannot prove that. Here, as you suggested, the Trucker's Sheepshank has the good idea of securing the half-sheepshank to the main line by tying it, in a half-hitch, around the main line. I like that, because it's easier than doubling up the sheepshank by passing the loop through TWO loops (or a cow hitch) in the main line. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHaQYYudnLOreac I know there are all kinds of hitches, but what do you have in mind over a simple bowline?

[@daemn22]

Awesome variation! Thanks for sharing and will practice this too 😊 -Flynn

[@mediaguardian]

I like this variation of the truckers hitch. It would be much easier to follow if we always had a continuous over the shoulder view as though we were tying it ourselves. You can still see the overlapping of the rope at critical points so switching camera angles, imho, is not necessary.

[@handycrowd]

Yup! I was so thrown by the horizontal view also, 100% of my truckers hitches are vertical.

[@jack002tuber]

Agreed. Its a good video, but over the shoulder shots help the most.

[@JohnPaquette]

OK. Good input. It would be easier to shoot with just one angle, too.

[@ferdinandheld5432]

Same here, one moment the bowline is on the left then the right and back on the left etc. found it confusing.

[@stevenrobertson4470]

Excellent knot! I get it right about 30% of the time! I'm a 71-year-old Boy Scout who never grew up and I love this knot. I need to practice it 100 times or so until I understand the principles behind it... mental gymnastics!

[@AnonymousWon-uu5yn]

To help, remember that both loops go clockwise and to make the second loop twist the line clockwise to create the second clockwise loop.

[@ajmacbeth]

I really like this version, it's the fastest to tie I've seen. Friendly suggestion, if possible, capture video of future knot tutorials entirely from user POV. Good stuff, thx

[@michaelguthrie2344]

EXCELLENT evolution of knot EXCELLENT explanation!

[@yourknotunderstanding]

You are right that it is an evolution. Everybody should learn the regular trucker's hitch. It's the standby. But there are some problems with it: 1. you need to send the end of the line through a loop. 2. You must try hard not to lose the tension you put into it before you tie it off. I made some changes to address these problems. That doesn't mean I didn't make the knot less valuable for some situations.

[@latetodagame1892]

Wow! Beautiful!!👍

[@claudearnold7341]

Perfect tutorial. And your English is very easy to understand for a french guy like me 😁

[@mingshey]

It’s a work of art. Thanks for sharing!

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Thanks!

[@OutdoorAcademyAustralia]

Nice combo. I'll try out the auto lock, cheers.🍻

[@meanwileinthedesert..2320]

This is brilliant! Borderline witchcraft. I will certainly be doing it this way for now on. With one additional turn. I would lock in the anchor loop with an additional half turn from the main line. Creating a single prusik loop to hold everything. Probably unnecessary. Just for peace of mind. Still brilliant! And anyone who says otherwise is jealous they didn't think of it.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

I think you mean by creating something that looks like a cow hitch in the main line. Basically so you pull the line through three loops rather than two. Yes, that does make it more secure.

[@crackedman123]

That's awesome. New favourite knot.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Thanks! I use it all the time for putting up temporary clotheslines and such. Not so much for tying down bundles on the back of a truck.

[@KenOlstad]

Elegant method! As others have noted, it was really hard to track through the camera angle switches, but eventually I got it, and I love it. If you're worried about the half sheepshank spilling under load, start with two loops over your hand instead of one, i.e. either a clove hitch or a cow hitch, to pull the bight through.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Yes. I know the cow hitch method is more secure. It's just a bit harder to tie.

[@anthonyesposito7]

I always favored the slip loop variety to the half sheepshead one for security purposes.

[@JohnPaquette]

Yeah, I went for simple rather than perfectly secure, here. I also didn't want to have to work with the end of the line. Security can be improved by doing a sort of cow-hitch thing rather than the half-sheepshank. Idea for a follow-up video.

[@nikbivation]

very nice thank you!

[@alicejpaquette]

Nifty! Thanks!

[@JohnPaquette]

Do I know you?😀

[@bonifaciobutacan2344]

Much faster and easier. Thanks!

[@RujioWR]

Thank you for sharing this neat technique. I used it a lot and it really holds up. But if you start to really max out the tension I find that the sheep shank can break. But I am talking like marlin spike tension or actually securing a heavy load on a vehicle. Or using multiple truckers hitches to create a pulley system. For everyday use, e.g. setting up a tarp etc. this is a very good version. Esp. since the length of the rope does not matter since you dont have to touch the working end "end" :D

[@JohnPaquette]

Right. "Perfect" here means "elegantly simple and generally useful" as opposed to "super heavy duty and rock solid dependable under battle conditions."

[@yourknotunderstanding]

@JohnPaquette is me. The half-sheepshank certainly isn't valuable if you want to add on additional truckers hitches to increase mechanical advantage. The tension gets unbalanced, and the half-sheepshank doesn't hold. If you want to do that, I recommend using a cow hitch rather than the half-sheepshank.

[@WahrheitMachtFrei.]

@@yourknotunderstanding I've found that by repeating the initial twist at 1:30 (so you have that loop with two twists instead of one) this massively increases the stability. With your version, (I'm sure you know this), if you pull on the loop that you're holding in your right hand at 2:05 the hitch can fall apart. With *two* initial twists this cannot happen.

[@trutrek913]

SO quick. I've seen guys spend over a minute tying a trucker's hitch and then release it and re-tie because of too much slack or whatever, this method looks so much better.

[@jakemccoy]

This will take a long time too if you don't practice it.

[@trutrek913]

@@jakemccoy Might be easy to do, but that can make it easy to forget if you don't practice like you said.

[@jakemccoy]

@@trutrek913 I have a technique that always works for me in all kinds of ropes and scenarios. I failed to practice it for several months yet still remember it. I am quick with it too because it is muscle memory. If you have to go look up a knot, well, there goes the speed.

[@BushcraftingBogan]

This version looks great but I didn't learn much in how to tie it. Do another video from your standpoint (ours) only.

[@JohnPaquette]

Yeah. Good idea.

[@jcorrea8597]

I think this video was great, The only thing I would suggest would be maybe extra reputation show me you tying the knot more times. I hope you keep making more videos thank you.

[@ThatGuy-dj3qr]

Wow! You make that look so simple. I will have to learn and practice this knot. I can imagine many uses for it.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

It's super handy. I use it to hang temporary clotheslines all the time. If you want to use it on an actual truck to tie something down, I'd recommend something a little more secure. One way to get there would be to use a cow hitch rather than the half-sheepshank (that first loop). There are lots of trucker's hitch videos on KZbin, but this one is special in how convenient it is even it's not the most secure under jiggling conditions.

[@yfelwulf]

The MOST DEADLY Truck knot ever devised and it went out of use decades ago due to the fact it slips often during initial loading and falls apart if the rope slackens. NEVER USE THIS KNOT if safety is involved light non critical use only.

[@JohnPaquette]

You are right. This specific version of the trucker's hitch *isn't really for trucking*. It's good for tying up a clothesline, or a ridgeline. There are certainly ways of making this knot more secure. "Perfect" here doesn't mean perfectly secure under battle conditions. Sorry about that.

[@jakemccoy]

I agree. Learn a method that will withstand tampering, car jostling, etc. Most people are only going to learn one method. So, learn a method that always works in all kinds of ropes and scenarios.

[@ronperrault8182]

Very nice! I saved it.

[@albybak8989]

I have seen hundreds of these hitches vids and this one is THE BEST!!!!! Perfect tutorial AND perfect design; no need for pulling ALL the excess rope through the bights. This is one YOU SHOULD LEARN!!!!!!!! and SUBSCRIBE TOO!!!!!!!!!!

[@JohnPaquette]

Thanks!

[@johnr5545]

Nice thanks god bless

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Thank you too!

[@randymarko486]

Genius....... Love it.....

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Thank you!

[@MOTIVATIONEXTREME]

untie video ^please great job by the way

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Well, I thought I showed how to untie it in the beginning. . .

[@MOTIVATIONEXTREME]

@@yourknotunderstanding 🙏🙏🙏

[@olegsl3726]

Добрый день. Благодарю вас за интересный узел. Желаю вам крепкого здоровья, удачи и благополучия! 🖐️🖐️🖐️

[@JohnPaquette]

Спасибо! Я рад, что тебе понравился узел. И тебе удачи!

[@Vaso735]

Thank you! I'll try to do 🤝

[@jolox.]

Nice informative video. Thanks! Knots are so cool! Gonna subscribe to see more!

[@buckburgess591]

Switching back and forth from your view and my view makes it extremely hard to follow. It would be better if it were done all one view then all the other view.

[@simonlivsey7425]

Or do it on the back of a truck!

[@Tagzmon]

Nah it's fine tbh

[@raulciprianoycruz8472]

I think it is more difficult. The truckers hitch I learn a lot simple.

[@JohnPaquette]

Yeah. Sorry about the angle switches. I'll do it differently next time.

[@w.harrison7277]

Very cool! I always wanted to know how to do a truckers hitch. The part that hung me up the most was after you have the double loop in your left hand, which of the two lines are you supposed to grab with your right hand through that loop? Once I figured that out by trial and error it all came together.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

I'll be more clear next time. Thanks.

[@Warrchild777]

Holy.....cr@p.......i love it 😎👍

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Glad you love it!

[@marcchrys]

Looks great, but needed clearer more continuous POV at the step where you feed the loops through each other...too much switching of angles meant I couldn't really see what you were doing.

[@JohnPaquette]

I'm beginning to see the light on this. . . 😃

[@marcchrys]

@@JohnPaquette Great - think I need to dedicate a whole day (using slow-mo) to crack it! :-)

[@haydenhowell1647]

Does this have problems binding up at all? I think I’ve found that the truckie’s hitch binds at times.

[@johnr5545]

Love it god bless

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Thank you!

[@Neodymio]

Comparing with normal trucker's hitch: Pro: barely autolock Con (big con): high friction => lost of tension power

[@stefanotripi5945]

bravo

[@JaToCos-LivingSoul]

TY 💗 ❤️ 💖

[@yourknotunderstanding]

You are welcome!

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Here's one of the ideas I based my knot on. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHPLaJKZrJdgZ9U

[@ds19771]

I wouldn’t even trust my clothes on a line with this knot - certainly not for tying down anything in a truck. The sheep shank version of the truckers hitch is very unstable. I’m surprised to see it advocated for as the correct method by anyone.

[@MattOConnor99]

Can you explain the message at 1:04 about "throw a bight of it across the main line so it crosses back to you"? This sounds like it might be useful, but I'm not understanding it.

[@Iconoclassic]

There is no need to pull the entire line over the standing end like in the video. You could just create a bight in the rope and lay that bight over the standing end. Then proceed with the rest of the instructions.

[@JohnPaquette]

@ceb3275 is right, but perhaps you don't know what "bight" means. A bight is a "middle" of a rope, without the ends. If you give a bight to someone, you are allowing them to grab the middle of the line. When you tie a knot "in a bight" that means you don't need access to the ends of the line in order to tie the knot. So, what I meant is that if the end of the line is not currently crossing over itself (coming towards you over itself), you can make it *cross away from you and back*. That's what "throwing a bight over the line" means.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

BTW, @JohnPaquette is me.

[@New2chem]

I like your videos and the idea, but I wouldn't trust a Black Wall hitch.

[@meherbabaisgod-lo8gd]

🥰🥰😘😘😍😍

[@ryanbeard1119]

Dont break your bed.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

It's not a bed. It's an Ultimate Body Press™dip bar. Not gonna break.

[@foxxi8440]

wonderful video and very helpfull. What type of cord did you use?

[@JohnPaquette]

It's Golberg 1/4" Nylon Paramax utility cord. Yep Golberg, not Goldberg.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Right you are @JohnPaquette. BTW, @JohnPaquette is me.

[@fairflower6934]

Please explain me. I tried tie this and I think it's not perfect. With huge load the knot will be untied. And another loop is good way for lock knot while tieing but it kills advantage in power while ordinary hand tieing (without extra loop you get the double advantage in power)

[@fairflower6934]

But I really like this video! It's awesome way to make a knot

[@JohnPaquette]

No knot is perfect for every application. What I like about this way of tying the trucker's hitch is that I don't have to deal with the other end of the line. I also like the self-locking "Blackwall" hitch. The normal trucker's hitch has neither of these advantages, but it might be more secure. There are certainly ways to modify my knot to make it more secure.

[@memyselfandeye1234]

learnig a truckers hitch horizontally .... because thats how they are used ..... NOT... fail.

[@regiejames963]

This version of truckers hitch is not useful with heavy load. And the display is cumbersome: very difficult to follow.

[@JohnPaquette]

It's perfectly simple, but not perfectly secure. Next time I'll film differently, and I'll put in more disclaimers.

[@Set_your_handle77]

Your Knot Understanding... 🙂 Catchy name

[@JohnPaquette]

No. Your just knot understanding! 😃

[@richardc6269]

Y do this extra step??

[@yourknotunderstanding]

What extra step?

[@richardc6269]

When u make the loop u don't just pull a loop through and use that as ur anchor. Pull ur working end through anh tie it off. Am i wrong??​@yourknotunderstanding

[@giorgosKarag]

It is a great self-locking knot BUT it is NOT intuitive. I think most of us (if not all) will forget how to do within a day or so even if practicing a lot. There are no tangible points during the process to stick in the brain and remember. Therefore, it is useless for me

[@yourknotunderstanding]

It's true that there are steps to learn. If you do it often enough, you remember it.

[@oskareem]

Unnecessarily complicated

[@lesblack413]

You have made a very easy knot to tie look terribly hard because you keep changing the view. A very poor demo in my opinion. You need to watch someone else who knows how to demo it properly!!

[@JohnPaquette]

I'm learning. Sorry for being confusing.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

@JohnPaquette is me.

[@Branno46]

What planet are you on to say it’s a simple to tie, maybe for you a pro, but not everyone is a contortionists with their hands, you move like a magic show and bear in mind what we see in the screen is opposite from the side your seeing , difficult to say the least so not impressed .

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Apologies, but this video is not for beginners, and also it's nearly my first attempt at making an instructional video. I made this video so that my idea would be documented, for people who are experienced at tying knots of this type. Future videos will be better for beginners, I hope. This video documents a *special variation* of what should already be a familiar knot. Again, not for beginners at tying knots.

[@yolandalindsay8368]

.

[@yourknotunderstanding]

That is a very short comment!

[@eszekiistvan7953]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Glad you like!

[@jasblick9984]

I was a trucker and this, is WAY too many steps to make a truckers hitch. Not putting down Your way. Just saying there is a simpler way.

[@JohnPaquette]

The simpler way may be more secure, but it isn't self-locking, and it requires you to work with the far end of the line. Given *those* requirements, I like my way. I learned about self-locking from FirstClassAmateur, and the half-sheepshank from OutdoorAcademyAustralia. I put them together in a new way. But, of course, different requirements call for different knots.

[@michaellatham1971]

Great combo technique. Solves all the problems.

[@deckape2423]

@@JohnPaquettethese and other combos of knots, to accomplish the same task, have been used for generations. Nothing new about this combo. I like your use of bright colored line.

[@bimpo1]

Very nice knot but ive got one even better

[@JohnPaquette]

Do share!

[@yourknotunderstanding]

Yeah. Do share. BTW, @JohnPaquette is me.