2 1/2 & 5 Ton Trucks of the U.S. Military

American 2 1/2 Ton and 5 Ton cargo trucks are the backbone of Army mobility and are essential to the mission of the Marine Corps and other services as well. Since World War II, several generations of these trucks have been fielded for service in the U.S. military and continue on duty.

WW II vintage GMC CCKW 2 1/2 ton truck, crossing bridge at the 38th parallel in Korea, 1950.

2 1/2 Ton and 5 Ton U.S. Military Cargo Trucks

This page shows the classification of U.S. military cargo trucks into two large families, the 2 1/2 ton ("deuce and a half") and the five ton. Within those families, each generation of truck based on one chassis design is designated as a "series" which includes many variations on the base truck for various purposes. That is, one series of chassis will be provided with specialized bodies for cargo trucks, tank trucks, vans and so forth as well as long wheel base versions and other variants.

In World War II, the 2 1/2 ton trucks were the backbone of Allied transport but by the 1970s, 5-ton trucks began to be favored over 2 1/2 ton trucks in the U.S. military. The five ton vehicles offered greater power, double the payload, and larger cargo volume than their 2 1/2 ton equivalents. While 2 1/2 ton trucks remained in large scale use, there was a shift toward their heavier 5-ton counterparts.

A convoy of M-35 2 1/2 ton 6x6 cargo trucks on a road in Egypt, heading toward the port of Alexandria, during Exercise Bright Star '85, 1 August 1985.

The 2 1/2 ton and 5 ton trucks from WW II to the present are organized in the following table. The links in the table lead to individual pages with much more detail on the truck series. Photos and other details of specific trucks are found in the Olive-Drab.com Military Vehicle Charts -- Medium Trucks section. The specific trucks in the Charts are also linked from the page on their series, for your convenience.

Additional Information Resources for U.S. Military 2 1/2 Ton & 5 Ton Trucks

• An extensive table of specifications for 2 1/2 ton M-Series trucks. With thanks to Terry Staley.
• Links to websites with information regarding U.S. Military 2 1/2 Ton & 5 Ton Trucks.

Find More Information on the Internet

There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.

For good results, try entering this: "military deuce or 2 1/2 ton". Then click the Search button.

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