Military Material Handling Equipment

Military logistics requirements include a continuing need for material handling equipment such as fork lifts and cranes. Many of these are militarized versions of existing commercial designs but some models have been specially designed to meet military requirements for size, weight, airlift capability, and compatibility with other military systems.

A 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Rough Terrain Fork Lift brings a load of palletized equipment to a KC-130 Hercules, Al Asad, Iraq, 19 November 2004.

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of Military Material Handling Equipment at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup:

1965 Pettibone, diesel engine driven forklift truck, model RT6000, 6,000 lb capacity, s/n 338, with 3-71 Detroit diesel engine s/n 3A-5871, hour meter reads 2876. Courtesy: Government Liquidation LLC.

Fork Lift Truck being loaded on to ship, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Newport News, VA, 28 April 1944. This power-driven machine is capable of lifting 3000 pounds.

Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) by Kalmar, operated by Seabee EO2 Michael Rhoades, relocates a 40 foot container, Camp Moreell, Kuwait, May 2006.

US Air Force C-130B Hercules, the workhorse of tactical airlift, unloads pallets of cargo at a remote airstrip, Vietnam, 1958. Airlift crews of the 834th Air Division, flying the C-130 Hercules, C-123 Provider and C-7A Caribou aircraft, surpassed the 3 million ton mark carrying cargo and passengers by 1968. Forklift is a Hyster with USAF markings.

Marines serving with Engineers Platoon, 2nd Bn, 9th Marines, use a Tractor, Rubber-Tired, Articulated Steering, Multi-Purpose (TRAM) to construct a new perimeter surrounding the base composed of HESCO walls and concertina wire, Camp Hanson, Afghanistan, 4 May 2012.

An MC-4000 rough terrain forklift truck is used to load a 6th Marine Amphibious Bridge M198 155mm towed howitzer aboard the Waterman class maritime prepositioning ship SS PFC. EUGENE A. OBREGON, Wilmington, NC, 15 March 1985.

Today in WW II: 17 Sep 1939 Soviet troops invade Poland from the east. More ↓

17 Sep 1944 Thousands of Allied planes begin airborne assault on Holland, Operation Market Garden.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Chart of Military Material Handlers

In this chart of military material handling equipment, click on the photo link to go to the page of photos and information for the specific equipment.

Vehicle	Description	Photo Link
M-4K	Case rough terrain forklift Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Symanski of Tactical Truck.
MLT-6CH	Truck, Lift, Fork. Chrysler Rough terrain forklift, 6000 lb. capacity, diesel engine.
6000M	Forklift, 6,000-lb, Variable Reach, Rough Terrain
ATLAS	ATLAS (All Terrain Lifter, Army System)
MC-4000	Truck, Forklift, Rough Terrain, MC-4000
EBFL	USMC Extended Boom Forklift (EBFL)
TRAM	USMC Tractor, Rubber-Tired, Articulated Steering, Multi-Purpose (TRAM)
10K ATFL	Caterpillar 10K All-Terrain Fork Lift (ATFL)
MMV	Truck, Lift, Fork Millennia Military Vehicle (MMV)