A medium-duty truck that has been riding in the U.S. Army's tactical fleet for more than one decade is now available for commercial use.

Photo: Courtesy of Worldwide Machinery

Since 1988, more than 50,000 FMTVs have been built for military use. Contractors can now order them for their own private fleets.

Displayed at last month's CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction show, the truck is “a unique beast,” says Chris Wilson, vice president of Channelview, Texas-based Worldwide Industrial Parts and Supply. “It eats the ground, and it just goes and goes and goes,” he adds.

A subsidiary of equipment distributor Worldwide Machinery, the firm recently inked a supply deal to sell the truck. Built for years by British defense contractor BAE Systems in Sealy, Texas, the truck is part of the platform the military calls the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, or FMTV. Earlier this year, Oshkosh Corp. nabbed the Army's FMTV contract, leaving BAE to pursue commercial interests.

Worldwide is marketing the civilian-dress model as the “Titan Extreme Duty” truck, which is no hyperbole. The U.S. Army coined the term “ultra-reliable” to describe the FMTV, its maker says. The rig is offered in a handful of models and sizes, including 4x4 and 6x6 axle configurations, and it is available with a Cummins or Caterpillar diesel engine.

Costing roughly $175,000 to $200,000 for a standard cab and chassis, the Titan can be fitted up with such implements as dumps, van bodies, wreckers, cranes, flatbeds and trailers. Designed for rugged terrain, it can handle 30% side slopes and 60% vertical grades. The heaviest base models can carry up to 10 tons of cargo and tow 13 tons. A fifth-wheel version tows up to 30 tons.