Transportation Company Question

[Webstral]

Writing new material creaks forward. Can anyone tell me how many trucks there are in a light/medium or medium truck squad [US Army]? I should know, but I can't remember. I've been hunting down transportation TO&E, but I can never get lower than squad level.

[ArmySGT.]

Does this help?

Medium Transportation Company

[ArmySGT.]

FM 55-30

[ArmySGT.]

ARTEP 55-718-30-MTP

[Webstral]

Army Sgt, thanks for posting these. I read the ARTEP earlier, but it doesn't address TO&E. FM 55-30 covers operations but doesn't actually say how many trucks there are per squad. I saw Table 5-6 in the Global Security link for authorized end items for the truck squad. Ten trucks and trailers are authorized per squad. There appear to be twenty personnel authorized. I just had trouble believing that a single squad, led by a staff sergeant, includes 20 soldiers driving 10 vehicles. A platoon of three squads would have 30 trucks. That's a lot of trucks for a butterbar to manage, considering that a tank platoon has four tracks.

[Legbreaker]

I think the difference here is that trucks are not combat vehicles. Think of a typical small civilian freight company, you're not likely to see a lot of middle and upper management clogging up the works, just enough pencil pushers and supervisors to ensure the freight gets where it's supposed to be on time.
The same general principles would have to apply to military logistics.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Army Sgt, thanks for posting these. I read the ARTEP earlier, but it doesn't address TO&E. FM 55-30 covers operations but doesn't actually say how many trucks there are per squad. I saw Table 5-6 in the Global Security link for authorized end items for the truck squad. Ten trucks and trailers are authorized per squad. There appear to be twenty personnel authorized. I just had trouble believing that a single squad, led by a staff sergeant, includes 20 soldiers driving 10 vehicles. A platoon of three squads would have 30 trucks. That's a lot of trucks for a butterbar to manage, considering that a tank platoon has four tracks.

Well the Lieutenant isn't running it by himself. That is why he has a Platoon Sergeant and Squad Leaders.

I think the smallest bit operating Normally will be an entire squad with all ten trucks. They don't operate independently. The Lieutenant is getting his marching Orders from his Company Commander. The Company Commander is getting his Orders from Movement Control as directed by the Assistant Division Commander for Support ADC (S) (S4 Staff).

*Edit* Read that as Section Leader. In some of the Non Combat MOS's units are Sections and Detachments.

[Graebarde]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Writing new material creaks forward. Can anyone tell me how many trucks there are in a light/medium or medium truck squad [US Army]? I should know, but I can't remember. I've been hunting down transportation TO&E, but I can never get lower than squad level.

I was retrofitted to TC in 1973, and served in 4 Trans Bde 1974-77 at the Motor Transport Clearance Authority (MOTCA). We cleared freight for movement by 37th Trans Group, which had at the time FIVE battalions of line-haul trucks from duces to hets. You call, well haul (sometimes, but that's a different story).

The medium and light truck company each had three platoons of two squads of TEN cargo transporting vehicles, each vehicle assigned a driver and assistant, so a squad was ~20 men..AND WOMEN.. including the squad leader. The company of three platoons had 60 primary vehicles assigned.

The light-medium company was a light truck company (with either duces or five tonners) and an added platoon of medium trucks. This company was 'rare' and our whole group had NONE. They were usually found in corps level trans battalions. The L-M company had 60 light trucks and 20 mediums. It should be noted that each medium truck company has TWO semi trailers for each tractor.

In 37th, all the cargo stake&plats (flatbeds with removable sides) were pooled for general use. (a nightmare to control I might add in the days before computers were common use). Tankers, lowboys, HETs, and reefers were NOT pooled as such, though reefers were sort of..

I worked operations as operations NCO.. there were 700 tractors to control on an average day. We REALLY had fun during REFORGER when we supplied BOTH SIDES.. I have some interesting tidbits there for sure.

In my OpFred game I had the transportation company using the concept they use in Oz.. land trains. Nope they couldn't run as fast as the down-unders, but speed was not the issue, it was transporting the most with the least. the controling factor there was getting enough dollies to make up the train.

Hope this helps around the trivval stuff.

FB

[pmulcahy11b]

I'm thinking that by 2000, a transportation company would have converted some of its surviving trucks into gun trucks.

[Webstral]

I'm addressing that issue in my material.

[Graebarde]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

I'm thinking that by 2000, a transportation company would have converted some of its surviving trucks into gun trucks.

Absolutely!!! And IF lessons learned are heeded, the vehicles will be in the five-ton capacity class, as it was found in Nam that duces just weren't strong enough for the extra armor etc.