Best way to transport a ladder?

Like everything else on here, this is made way too complicated. Hang it out the back over the tailgate and strap it down and flag it. Just like anything else you'd put in your truck.

 

Like that extra 1' matters. I've never found anything that I couldn't get in my 5' bed that anything less than an 8' bed would help and I routinely haul stuff up to 12' with my 5' bed

This ain't rocket science.

Tailgate up. or if you have one of the flip out bed extenders tailgate down and bed extender out. This essentially gives you a 6' bed.
Heavy end of ladder next to cab.
Tie down, straps are easier, but rope works.

If the tailgate is down, or if you use a bed extender that mounts to the receiver hitch the part of the ladder extending beyond the truck is at a level where it could be hit by vehicles behind you. If you leave the tailgate up the back of the ladder is high enough to go over most vehicles that may get too close behind you.

If the ladder is over 12' you need another plan, and a 6' or even 6.5' bed won't help, 8' would. In this case a trailer or carrying on the cab is the better plan.

 

Shorter ladders are easy to have with tailgate up and strapped down with a ratchet in the rear floor d rings. I utilize a bed extender for my 12' ladder and 14' kayak. Works great. Don't forget your flag

 

With a 12' ladder, I'd put it on the roof and tailgate, protecting the paint of course.
When I tie a ladder down, I generally use 4- 6' straps, arranged so that when tight, the straps are tightening each other. Side to side and front to back by crossing the straps. With the front straps, they're attached so they pull back and down when tightened.

In the pics, the hook on the strap is set so that it is not below the bottom of the ladder. This way there's no damage to the ladder.

The knot is called a bowline. It's strong, doesn't weaken the rope as much as other knots do and doesn't run or work it's way loose. Best of all, it comes apart EASY!
Notice the end of the rope in the loop; you can put this knot anywhere on the rope. I put one near where I'm going to finish tying things down. Then run the rope through the anchor point back up and through the knot loop. It's much easier to tighten this way

I know, crazy long reply, but, nothing worse than losing something on the highway to a bad knot.

 

This. Carried up to four 16-foot extension ladders this way in my work access cab. Feet on the front end of the bed, ladders leaned up over the tailgate, with the ratchet strap looped around and the rungs to keep the extensions from bouncing around. They don't move at all.

 

The rabbit comes out of his hole, goes around the tree, and then goes back down the hole.

 

That’s the best set of pics for tying a knot on TW I have ever seen.

 

This is by far the most useful knot I've ever learned to tie.

 

Square knot
Clove hitch
Sheet bend
Taught line hitch
Two half hitch
Bow line

These are the six basic knots a boy Scout needs to get their knot tying badge. With these six, you can safely accomplish most rope related shenanigans you'll ever need. I recommend everybody learns at least those.

 

And there's the 1 handed bowline, in case you fall down a hole, break your arm, and somebody throws you a rope to pull you out.

 

a guy I used to work with was in the boy scouts and he literally tied one around himself with one hand

 

I'm working on finding a way to transport a 32 foot ladder on my 09 short bed.

Smaller ladder not rocket science. bigger ladder is much more of a headache

 

Build an A frame the same height as the roof or racks if you have them, such that there is no point at the top and the ladder can sit on the cross piece of the A. I'd also used 2 more pieces to act as a shelf for the crosspiece. Almost like the way a Jack stud is used to support a header when framing a doorway.

 

I do not have a roof rack as of now and I'm working around a toneau cover.

but I think I'm gonna go this rout. Roof rack to one of these guys. Seeing is how I only transport my big ladders far and few between