Need A Knot To Secure A Load? Try My Modified Trucker's Hitch.

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modified trucker's hitch knot step 12
Trevor Raab

My favorite means of securing a load in a truck or trailer is to fashion rope into what I call a modified trucker’s hitch. I qualify it with “modified” because it uses principles of the time-tested trucker’s hitch but isn’t exactly the same version that you see published all over the web and in books about sailing and knot-making.

I’ve used this home-brewed version for years. It’s fast, easy, quick to untie, and so simple that I’ve made it by feel in the dark. What’s more, it’s so versatile that I’ve used it hundreds of times to secure everything in the bed of my truck from a pile of groceries to lawn mowers to an unwieldy pile of boxes. And it’s very strong; I’ve never had a load come loose.

The quirky thing about it is a second loop that I put in the rope–I call it a follower loop (or, simply, “the follower”). That’s because when you stick your index finger through the follower and pull, it follows your finger as the loop’s length increases. To decrease the follower’s length, simply pull on the free end of the rope. The ability to adjust the follower’s length allows you to place this loop at an ideal location so that you have full access to it. This is important in knot-making. When you pass the rope’s free end through a loop (like the follower), you’re forming a crude pulley system that increases tightening power. However, the loop should be in a spot where you can take full mechanical advantage of it.

Here’s how to rig it.

trucker's hitch knot step 1Open GalleryHeadshot of Roy BerendsohnRoy BerendsohnSenior Home Editor

Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.

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