M915

   The M915 is a baseline model of a series of heavy army trucks.

   In the late 1970s the US Army was looking for commercial logistic trucks. In 1977 a request was issued for a series of heavy trucks. The US Army received technical proposals from six manufacturers. The AM General offered the lowest price and was selected as a winner. In 1977 the US Army awarded a contract for 5 507 trucks. First vehicles were delivered to the US Army in 1978.

   The M915 is based on Centaur series of commercial trucks, built by Crane Carrier Company. The AM General had a license agreement to manufacture and sell these vehicles to the US government. Only minimum modifications were made to make vehicles suitable for military use. The M915 is a baseline model. This series consists of M915, M916, M917, M918, M919 and M920. There are three basic chassis with 6x4, 6x6 and 8x6 configurations. Layout of all vehicles is similar.

   The M915 Line Haul Tractor (LHT) is primarily used for long distance movement of containers. It is used to move cargo from port to division operation area. Normally this truck tows M872 semi-trailer with a payload capacity of 30 t.

   All of the M915 series truck were fitted with day cabs. The cab accommodates driver, co-driver and one more passenger. The cab has an all-steel construction. Some add-on armor kits were developed for the M915 series of trucks by several companies. These provide protection against small arms fire, artillery shell splinters and IED blasts. Over 3 000 armor kits were supplied to the US armed forces for operation in Iraq.

   This line haul tractor is powered by Cummins NTC 400 turbocharged diesel engine, developing 400 hp. It is mated to Caterpillar semi-automatic gearbox with 16 forward and 2 reverse gears. This tractor truck has 6x4 configuration.  Its operation is limited to hard surface roads only.

Variants

   M915A1 tractor truck. This truck is fitted with Allison 5-speed automatic transmission. It has a maximum road speed of 92 km/h. Otherwise it is similar to the M915. A total of 2 511 of these truck were ordered in 1981. Production began in 1983. Deliveries were completed in 1984;

   M915A2 updated model. It was produced by Freightliner. Vehicle is powered by Detroit Diesel DDE 12.7-liter engine, developing 400 hp. It is mated to Allison automatic transmission. Production contract was awarded to Freightliner in 1988. First production vehicles entered service with the US Army in 1990. Additional vehicles were ordered in 1995. A total of 2 440 M915A2, M916A1 and M917A1 trucks were produced by Freightliner;

   M915A3 tractor truck. It is a further improved model, produced by Freightliner. Production contract was awarded in 2000. Production of this truck began in 2001. It has a number of improvements. It is powered by a slightly more powerful Detroit Diesel Series 60 DDEC IV 12.7-liter diesel, developing 430 hp. Engine is mated to Allison 6-speed automatic transmission;

   M915A4 refurbished and updated tractor truck. In 1997 the US Army announced a requirement for modification kits to update M915 series trucks. Some sources report that by 2004 a total of 3 650 modification kits were acquired from Freightliner. Updated trucks were fitted with reconditioned engines, virtually new cab, and a number of other improvements. The M915A4 designation has been applied to updated vehicles. Refurbished vehicles were delivered to the US Army, Army Reserve and National Guard;

   M915A5 tractor truck produced by Daimler Trucks North America. It has a 6x4 configuration and is powered by 500 hp engine. Vehicle was specially designed to operate in warzones such as Afghanistan and Iraq. The cab on some trucks has an integrated armor. Furthermore protection can be increased by add-on armor kit. This truck entered service in 2010 and replaces the older M915A1, A2 and A3 trucks;

   M916 Light Equipment Transporter (LET). It has a 6x6 configuration and is intended for both road and cross-country use;

   M917 dump truck with 8x6 configuration. It is intended for both road and cross-country use. It is fitted with a 10.7 m³ capacity dump body. These trucks were developed for earthmoving and construction work;

   M918 bituminous distributor with 6x6 configuration. This truck is intended for road and airfield construction. It uses the same engine, transmission, transfer box and suspension as the M916;

   M919 concrete mixer with 8x6 configuration. It is intended for construction work, where large amounts of concrete are required. It uses the same engine, transmission, transfer box and suspension as the M916. The second axle is of the pusher type. It is raised when not required;

   M920 tractor truck with 8x6 configuration. This truck can operate off-road. It was used in conjunction with M172A1 or M870 semi-trailers. It uses the same engine, transmission, transfer box and suspension as the M916. The second axle is of the pusher type. It is raised when not required.