A short steel plug provided with a pin thread by means of which it may be coupled to the upper end of a stand of drill rods. Its diameter is greater than that of the drill rod to which it is attached, and hence it provides a shoulder that can be grasped by an elevator. When each stand of rod is provided with an elevator plug and an elevator is used in lieu of a rod-hoisting plug, the handling of rods is facilitated and a round trip can be made in less time.