English Trucker's Hitch

Muggs

Muggs

Been here much more than a while
Location
Canuckistan
My favourite version of the trucker's hitch. This was shown to me by an Englishman, so I have always referred to it as the English Trucker's Hitch. For my first 3 years in the trade, this was our only mechanical advantage setup. We didn't use a fiddle block or come-along. We got everything done with just this, including pulling a 40hp stump grinder up a hill in the rain after it had slid down sideways in the mud, just 3 guys with the trucker's hitch. It's a beauty.

And yes, I realize I said 'coolest' twice in this video, which is kind of laughable.

Anyone else use this before?

 
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I was looking at this knot on youtube by a poster named "why knot" who shows many knots, but this is much clearer as to how to tie it. Thanks for posting.
Why do you add the "extra twist" ?
 
That is cool. I use the truckers hitch to lash stuff done and the fact that you have a captured bight (the one you clip on the biner) negates that use for me.

I know you offer it as a mechanical advantage...just doubt I would use it that way.

Thanks for sharing. Nicely done video.
 
Right on, good to hear that someone tried it.

Surveyor, I add the extra twist because it seems to help it stay together a bit better. Like the sheepshank, this version of the trucker's hitch falls apart in the absence of tension. In my experience the critical moment in this regard is when you have to run the bight all the way back to your anchor. You need to keep the whole thing under a bit of tension as you do this, and I just find that the extra twist helps to keep it from falling apart. I wasn't originally taught to do the extra twist, that's my own little addition.

The fact that it just falls apart without tension has been said to be a downfall, but I would argue that it is one of the best characteristics of this knot. You can literally load it with as much tension as you want, even with 4 or 5 guys pulling on it. It will always untie just as easy. I think out of all the knots that I have shown other tree guys, this is the one that people will still mention years later, like "hey man, I still love that trucker's hitch, we use it all the time."

Play around with it and give it a shot.
 
Muggs said:
My favourite version of the trucker's hitch. This was shown to me by an Englishman, so I have always referred to it as the English Trucker's Hitch. For my first 3 years in the trade, this was our only mechanical advantage setup. We didn't use a fiddle block or come-along. We got everything done with just this, including pulling a 40hp stump grinder up a hill in the rain after it had slid down sideways in the mud, just 3 guys with the trucker's hitch. It's a beauty.

And yes, I realize I said 'coolest' twice in this video, which is kind of laughable.

Anyone else use this before?

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