Editing Trucker's hitch (section)

==Finishing the hitch==
[[File:Truckers hitch pulley model.png|thumb|right|80px|Diagram showing the (theoretical) 3:1 mechanical advantage of the Trucker's Hitch]]
In tightening the trucker's hitch, tension can be effectively increased by repeatedly pulling sideways while preventing the tail end from slipping through the loop, and then cinching the knot tighter as the sideways force is released. This is called "sweating a line".<ref name="troublesafloat">{{Citation|title=Handling Troubles Afloat|author=John Mellor|location=Dobbs Ferry, NY|year=1996|publisher=Sheridan House|pages=195–196}}</ref>

If the tail end is wrapped through the last loop twice, the resulting friction may render manual cinching unnecessary.

Once tight, the trucker's hitch is often secured with a [[half hitch]], usually [[slipped loop|slipped]] for easy releasing and to avoid the necessity of access to the end of the rope, though a more secure finish, such as [[two half-hitches]], may be called for. Under large loads, the finishing half hitch can jam, especially if it is not slipped; the difficulty of releasing it can be compounded by the fact that the knot is typically still under tension when it is to be untied.

Finishing with a [[taut-line hitch]] or a [[Farrimond friction hitch]] to the standing part allows the finishing knot to be tied and untied with no tension.  This eliminates any jamming problems and also allows the line to be re-tensioned if necessary.

A mechanical advantage of ideally 3:1 can nearly be achieved when using an equivalent setup with pulleys,<ref name="Com">{{cite book|first=Nic|last=Compton|title=The Knot Bible|publisher=Adlard Coles Nautical|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4081-5476-2|page=74}}</ref><ref name="Til">{{cite book|first=Buck|last=Tilton|title=Outward Bound - Ropes, Knots, and Hitches|publisher=Falcon|year=2019|isbn=978-1-4930-3503-8|page=34}}</ref> but is reduced substantially by friction when using knots.