The Royal Logistics Corps is the arm of the British Army that deals with supply, rail and road haulage and distribution. The Army would be lost without adequate supplies, both in peace and wartime, and the Corps is their link to ammunition, essentials and medical supplies. The lorries that they and other specialists use are the backbone of any Army operation. We take a look at the vehicles some of the world's bravest lorry drivers use.
Close Support Tanker
Like many of the Army's vehicles and tanks, the Close support tanker does exactly what it says on the tin. Less a lorry than a tanker truck, it comes in three variants - none of which are your run of the mill road haulage vehicles: the 15,000-litre Tactical Air Refueller and the 18,000 and 20,000-litre Close Support Tanker (one for fuel and the other water). Other lorry drivers should take note not to mess with it if seen on the motorway - it sports enhanced, blast-proof armour and can be fitted with a 7.62mm machine gun.
All Terrain Mobility Platform
The All Terrain Mobility Platform, or ATMP, is the modern equivalent of the Second World War Bren Gun Carrier. Though it looks like a quad bike with more attitude, the ATMP is a front line logistics vehicle. Its' larger liquid, goods and road haulage brothers and sisters might be in danger of looking down their noses at the ATMP due to its diminutive size, but it excels at what it's designed for. It can carry deceptively heavy loads, is amphibious, and is most often used by light or airborne regiments in areas where lorries aren't practical. And like many army logistics vehicles, it isn't defenceless; it can be upgraded with the GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) which fires 7.62mm rounds at a rate of 750 a minute. A small but very powerful haulage vehicle.
Motorcycles
You wouldn't think motorbikes would be used in the British Army, but they prove excellent for courier services and document delivery. But once again, these aren't the usual motorbikes. Specially modified Harley Davidson MT350Es and Honda R250s are used, increasing the load a bike can take as well as having a special pannier for the SA80 infantry rifle.
Heavy Equipment Transporter
The Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) is one of the largest available types of road haulage the Army employs. Challenger II main battle tanks don't get to the war zone on their own, and the HET is the vehicle that moves them from place to place. They are also used as relocation and haulage transporters for immobilised tanks, taking them from the war zone to areas where the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers can re-track them and get them back into working order. The HET can move a huge amount of weight (72 tonnes in total) thanks to its Caterpillar C18 turbocharged diesel engine. It dwarfs all other forms of road haulage, and embodies the pride and might of the British Army and her logistics and engineering corps.
Lyall Cresswell is the Managing Director for the Transport Exchange Group. Haulage Exchange, their freight exchange for the 7.5 tonne and above market, offers an independent environment for its members to find that next road haulage job.
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