Australian Army Heavy Trucks

This is our current non-truck fleet.

Those Bushmasters are an impressive vehicle especially when you get up close and personal to one.

Just a note for those who do not know, ALL soldiers must be proficient basic infantrymen, from cooks to radio operators. The fitness thing is army wide - what use is a division of Big Mac and Coke addicts when in a combat situation? Drivers in particular can, and do find themselves in situations where the bullets are flying when using these cross country vehicles to support front line troops. Pulling a steering wheel and changing gears comes with practice but relying on experience to understand all the facets of being a truck driver can take years and often is never complete for a civilian driver. A young army driver will be far ahead of his equivalent civilian mate through hundreds of hours on the theory and practical aspects of the job both in the classroom and in field training exercises before he even goes to a unit.

Most Army trucks you see are travelling by themselves with the driver making decision just like any other truckie. Interstate runs are commonplace. Convoys are unusual but you notice them. All in all not a bad career for a young person.


Army Driver PR Video.



About the Job





Want to get behind the wheel of vehicles that you wouldn’t normally see on the roads?

As an Army Driver, you’ll be a member of the Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) and play a pivotal role in the operation and management of sophisticated military vehicles at all times of day, over all kinds of terrain. You’ll play a key role in carrying cargo, personnel and dangerous goods, to support training and operations in Australia and overseas.

You could assist with any number of jobs, from driving ambulances for medics, to navigating a camouflaged vehicle through enemy territory. You'll carry up to 12 tonnes on your vehicle—or up to 20 tonnes on a trailer.

No experience is required, just a driver's license. You’ll receive world-class military training that will provide you the knowledge to:

Load, drive and maintain vehicles and its associated equipment
Drive loaded and unloaded vehicles in varied conditions and on all-terrain
Deliver personnel, stores, equipment and Combat Service Support (CSS)—utilising road, rail, sea and air transportation
Camouflage a vehicle
Operate material handling equipment, such as forklifts, winches and cranes
Supervise and assist with loading and unloading vehicles
Conduct non-technical inspections
Recover damaged vehicles using vehicle recovery equipment
Operate radio/communications equipment fitted to a vehicle
Transport dangerous goods and explosives
Maintain transport documentation
Transport VIPs up to Brigadier or equivalent rank
Navigate through built up areas and in the field using civil maps or military maps
Operate a military vehicle on public roads
Drive specialist vehicles such as Water Tankers and Fuel Tankers
Work as an Driving Instructor after 12 months
This job gives you the opportunity to travel around Australia alongside your team and drive a range formidable Army vehicles. Here’s just a few you’ll get to operate:

Mercedes Benz G Wagon — 4x4 and 6x6 variants
Mack Fleet-Liner MC2 heavy rigid variants (cargo, fuel, water)
Mack R-Series MC3 heavy rigid variants (fuel, water)
Kenworth T909 series semi-trailers
MAN medium 40M and heavy HX77 protected and unprotected variants
Heavy equipment transporter/multi combination — up to 110 tonnes (to carry the Abrams main battle tank)
For a great work/life balance, a daily change of scenery, and adventure you won’t get anywhere else, this could be the path for you.

In-Service Information
This role is known as Driver Specialist within the Army.
Employment Category Number (ECN): 274
Employment Category: Combat Support

A British Army video but the Australian Army is going the same way. This is really cool. Producing real professionals. We sit behind pilots in a Boeing 777 who have done 90% of their training on simulators why not truck driving?

Would not be surprised if it becomes the way for any or all vehicle testing or training. My truck licence instructor was getting into this around cars. Though virtual you can cover a life time of scenarios in much much shorter period.

Not Australian Army but the Australian Army did have thousands of the two wheel drive Dodge 3 tonners of this style and quite a few Weapon Carriers



On the way from the factory



These are Australian Army Dodges. The group is at the huge vehicle park at Ryde in Sydney.



The thing over the roof is to hang a Bren Gun from for somebody standing in the roof hatch as anti-aircraft protection. All the early trucks had these including Blitz. They quickly were dropped from production and service as a useless impediment.






Of course this is where they all ended up. I can see quite a number of ex-army International, Dodge and Ford. Quiz for Mammoth what is the forward control truck behind the street sign?

Possibly a Leyland Hippo???

No doubt Mammoth will confirm or otherwise . . .

Think it's a Bedford QL

Grandad I think you might be right. Very rare in Australia, must have been Middle East acquisitions brought back.

Here are two photos in Australia during and after the war. The wheat one may be UK? The plate in front of the windscreen in the Melbourne parade truck is a gas indicator. Coated with special paint it would change colour if subject to a gas attack warning the driver to put on his gas mask. Eliminated from production by 1942/3.

Another Dodge