FMTV acquisition

[Robin Craig]

Recently I was involved in the hand over and delivery of an M1079 FMTV and a matched M1082 trailer.

The vehicle was sourced from Eastern Surplus in Philadelphia and prepared by them to the owners specs and wishes. It was my task to drive down and drive it back.

I have dealt with Eastern Surplus over the support of some M series trucks over the years. Always good dealings.

It was strange to arrive in the US of A on voting day, a very surreal experience that was amazing to watch unfold, but I digress.

The paperwork was well prepared and the next morning I went to the local franchise DOT office and secured 30 day "tags" ie plates for the truck and trailer for the return trip. A very easy process and all nice and legal.

I then spent a few hours going over the truck receiving instruction and explanation and advice from the staff at Eastern Surplus, after all, I am getting into a truck that I don't know and is supposed to be in a mechanically fit state for me to hurtle down the road in, something I don't take lighlty.

By the time I got going it was mid afternoon and pouring rain, a great way to start a journey in a big humpity bumpy army truck in a major urban area on fast moving Interstate roads.

The truck bimbles along quite nicely and has quite a surge of power and speed. The fact that the lighting had been upgraded to LED units filled me with comfort that I could be seen well.

As with any new vehicle, I stopped often and made checks and the frequency of them diminished as I got more confident and understood what the fuel gauge reading meant as far as real levels in the tank, always a learning curve.

After a long haul up through Pennsylvania on the turnpike with the joys of the tolls I reached Clarkes Summit which is at the start of I 81 by 7pm that night and called it a night.

The next morning saw a cooler day, but dry and sunny. I did an extensive pre-drive check of fluids and drips and wheels and tires and pins and lanyards and such. I fueled up and headed out on the road by 8 am and joined I 81 heading north.

At one point I could have been mistaken that I was heading the wrong way by looking at the road sign but I knew better.

At the US border post I went through the Export Control process and then headed the few metres over to the Canadian side. The importation took minutes as we had engaged a broker to handle the import for our own reasons. I took longer walking from the truck to the Customs building and back than I spent inside, worth every penny IMHO on this one.

A few more road miles and I was back in town and parked the truck and trailer up where it will undergo a safety next week to conform to Ontario standards.

A delightfully undramatic trip, just the way I like it, monotonous and no hiccups.

My impression is that it is a relatively pleasant ride compared to the older legacy M series 2 1/2 ton or 5 tons and the push button Allison transmission is so common these days and seems to work happily. The trailer was not a burden, and it was almost as if it wasn't there.

I look forward to becoming familiar with yet another vehicle that I have been privileged to drive and operate.

Thought I would share the experience.

Disclaimer:- "I am in no way related to Eastern Surplus nor paid by them"

[rob love]

They are cousins to the Canadian HLVW, although quite Americanized.

When we got the HLVW, the difference between it and the M-series was immediately apparent. In their day, the HLVW was very well regarded, although they are past their prime now.

IIRC, initially, when Canada wanted to replace the MLVW fleet, the specifications were written towards the US FMTV. Other companies complained, and as well the US advised that they were starting to remove that inventory of truck, so the long saga of the MLVW replacement program began.

It is well known, certainly within the industry, that in 2004 DND made an attempt to replace the MLVW via the FMS (Foreign Military Sale) government-to-government purchase route, and with the FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles) from then-manufacturer Stewart & Stevenson. The project failed as disgruntled potential MLVW replacement contenders objected to a sole-source procurement and Industry Canada officials protested that the deal would not offer enough industrial benefits for domestic firms. Other prominent criticisms included the misleading claim that an FMTV purchase would be akin to a further MLVW purchase, in that the FMTV (which entered production in 1991) would be outdated technology when procured.