Truckin on

Dedicated to the Men and Women

of
AF Vehicle Operations & Maintenance Past, Present, and Future

1 Nov 2015

Special Points of Interest:

Afghan Air Force: PG 1-2
Veterans Day Stories: PG 3-4

Afghan Air Force trains to develop vehicle

maintenance master instructors

Inside this issue:

On the Road Again

PG 5

RED HORSE Turns 50!

PG 6

Inside Moody AFB

PG 7

Proven Warrior

PG 8

WIT: Report from New Zealand

PG 9 - 10

Gov Fleet: Long Beach Adding

Hybrids

PG 10

JLTV Update

PG 11

Historic Military Road Trip

PG12

Afghan National Army and Afghan Air Force vehicle maintainers perform preventative
maintenance during a training session at Kabul Air Wing Aug. 6, 2015. Train, Advise, Assist
Command Air (TAAC-Air) advisors and contractors work to refine Afghan Air Force logistics,
reduce new acquisitions and programs, and create a sustainable and capable air force to support
the Afghan National Security Forces in the coming years. The Vehicle Maintenance Training
Program (VMTP) is one focus area to acquire coalition expertise to provide meaningful instruction
on specialized equipment and contractor support to the AAF. They began training June 27, 2015.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Eydie Sakura/Released)

By Capt. Eydie Sakura, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs / Published
August 22, 2015
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Train, Advise, Assist Command Air (TAAC-Air) advisors
and contractors work to refine Afghan Air Force logistics, reduce new acquisitions
and programs, and create a sustainable and capable air force to support the Afghan
National Security Forces in the coming years.
The Vehicle Maintenance Training Program (VMTP) is one focus area to acquire
coalition expertise to provide meaningful instruction on specialized equipment and
contractor support to the AAF. They began training June 27, 2015.
Daily efforts to provide one-on-one instruction with Afghan vehicle maintainers is a
force multiplier in the counterinsurgency fight that AAF and Afghan National Army
commanders cannot do without, said Lt. Col. Michael Evans, TAAC-Air director of
logistics.
The ability to train AAF instructors to create an AAF [with a] sustained personnel
training pipeline is essential to the future of the ANSF and AAF, Evans said. By not
providing the proper and intensive instruction, the wings and detachments will not be
able to sustain their equipment and their mission to support the AAF.
Continued on PG 2

Disclaimer: Truckin On is an unofficial newsletter published every month in the interest of serving Air Force active duty, civilian and retired vehicle operations
and maintenance personnel. Articles submitted by its contributors are not to be considered official statements by the U.S. Air Force.

Afghan Air Force trains to develop vehicle

maintenance master instructors
Brilliance in Basics in regards to maintenance production is the
key to success if the AAF maintenance activities are going to be
able to sustain themselves and in a safe manner, Alessi said.
We start with student evaluations to determine their literacy
level and ability to comprehend.
After knowing this, we commence with common core training for
all students regardless of their rank that consists of personal
and shop safety, hazardous waste handling and storage and
care and use of hand tools. The students progress to operator
training and preventative maintenance checks and services to
have a basic understanding of the equipment theyll work with
throughout the year. The training moves into mechanical theory
and hands-on practical application with scheduled written and
performance evaluations in regards to the common functional
Afghan National Army and Afghan Air Force vehicle maintainers work a areas of all vehicle platforms.
checklist during a training session at Kabul Air Wing Aug. 6, 2015. Train,
Advise, Assist Command Air (TAAC-Air) advisors and contractors work
to refine Afghan Air Force logistics, reduce new acquisitions and
programs, and create a sustainable and capable air force to support the
Afghan National Security Forces in the coming years. The Vehicle
Maintenance Training Program (VMTP) is one focus area to acquire
coalition expertise to provide meaningful instruction on specialized
equipment and contractor support to the AAF. They began training June
27, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Eydie Sakura/Released)

The most rewarding thing across the board is when they get
it, Alessi said. When the individual trainer is able to take a
student from the ground up and work closely with the student,
and see he understands and can demonstrate the task or
procedure that is to be performed this makes the hard work
worthwhile. This sentiment is shared among the complete
[training] team.

The initial master mechanics training, provided by 17

contractors and a handful of Coalition advisors, will develop the
AAFs first master mechanics and trainers, said Greek Warrant
Officer Ioannidis Emmanouil, a 16-year vehicle mechanic
quality control inspector and certified trainer.

Emmanouil agrees and said the daily interaction with his

Afghan counterparts has been successful. They are friendly
and they respond immediately to my [training] I give them, the
Greek Warrant Officer said. In my humble opinion, this is the
real goal for [any] trainer!

This is a huge in-progress training program with participants

from all bases across Afghanistan, Emmanouil said. The AAF
is a newly born air force and our goal is, at the end of
[the Resolute Support] mission, ensure we have done
everything
necessary
to
transfer
[our]
knowledge
[to the Afghans] so they can have a reliable and effective air
force.
In approximately one year, the vehicle maintenance depot will
have a capability to support the AAF maintenance needs --a fly
away unit to support the detachments requirements and ability
to train the next generation of mechanics, Evans said. They will
have a fleet manager who can program out for parts and
support acquisition of new vehicles, with as little support as
required from foreign military sales and contractors, said
An Afghan National Army vehicle maintainers practices teaching
Evans.
techniques with contractors during an instructor certification session at
Kabul Air Wing Aug. 6, 2015. Train, Advise, Assist Command Air
(TAAC-Air) advisors and contractors work to refine Afghan Air Force
logistics, reduce new acquisitions and programs, and create a sustainable
and capable air force to support the Afghan National Security Forces in
the coming years. The Vehicle Maintenance Training Program (VMTP) is
one focus area to acquire coalition expertise to provide meaningful
The VMTP manager, Frank Alessi, said theyve modeled the instruction on specialized equipment and contractor support to the AAF.
They began training June 27, 2015. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo/
training after similar types of maintenance training programs Released)

AAF master instructor manpower goal is to have three fire and

refueling vehicle instructors; three material handling equipment
and heavy equipment vehicle instructors; four general purpose
vehicle instructors; and two fleet management and
documentation master instructors.

often seen in military organizations.

See additional photo at: Afghan Air Force

2

A few veterans day

stories
Clickers
by Al Baird, CMSgt (Ret/472)

Editors Note: In September this year we lost two Airmen

from WW2 who fought against racism in order to serve the
country they loved. This Veterans Day we honor their
service and their memories with the following stories.

About six years ago while I was on a three-year

RV adventure, we spent about three weeks on my
son-in-law's fathers farm. While I was there his Tuskegee Airman Who Flew 26 Missions over
uncle Ralph, who lived about a mile down the Germany Dies at 90
road, found out I was a golfer. So, he invited me to
Calvin Spann participated in the longest bomber escort mission
his country club where we had lunch and played golf five or six
in 15th Air Force history
times. He was a school teacher and he also coached the
Lt. Calvin Spann, an original Tuskegee
schools golf team.
airman who flew 26 combat missions
I told him I was retired USAF and our ensuing conversations
over Nazi Germany, died Sunday, Sep 6,
covered many subjects, but he never once mentioned being in
at his home in Texas at the age of
the military.
90, NBC reports.
Then this winter while I was on the farm again supervising some
The New Jersey native volunteered for
major repair work for my son-in-law, my wife and I went down
the Army Air Corps in 1943 and was
and visited Ralphs ninety one year old wife. She was also a
soon after sent to Tuskegee, Alabama to
school teacher. I brought up the subject of Ralph (who had join the first group of African-American military aviators in the
died about two years ago) and she began talking about his time history of the U.S. Armed Forces.
in the Army during WW2.
In a 2012 interview with The Record,
It turned out that Ralph was one of those
Spann said:
crazy people that jumped out of an airplane
I was determined, because from the
over Normandy with a rifle and a clicker
very beginning I dont know why or
(an advanced communication device). After
where it came from but the rumor
the war ended he returned home with his
was out there that because I was black,
clicker, his dog tags, and a small piece of one
I couldnt learn. I was determined to
of his parachutes tied together with a string from his chute.
prove that wrong.
Like so many others of his generation after returning
Spann was sent to Italy after he
home, he attended college under the GI bill and became a
finished training. NBC reports that
teacher. Ralph was definitely a qualified member of the greatest
during his time in Italy, Spann
generation and a hero.
participated in the longest bomber
But Ralph, and those like Ralph, never accepted the fact that escort mission in 15th Air Force history: a 1,600-mile, round-trip
they were heroes; they wouldn't even talk about it. I think they mission, from Ramitelli, Italy, to Berlin.
might have believed you had to be dead to be a hero.
Though he never flew again after the war, in 2006, Spann was
Anyway, I was allowed to handle Ralphs clicker and it still works inducted in to the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and was
just fine.
later awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
Editors Note: The clicker Chief Baird described in his story
is officially the Acme No. 470 clicker Airborne Cricket.
Clickers have appeared in numerous well-known feature films
(The Longest Day), television series (Band of Brothers) and
documentaries.
To learn more about this device visit the following website:
WWII Dog Tags.
Continued on PG 4
3

A few veterans day

stories
Ben Kuroki, Japanese-American WWII war hero
who flew over Japan, dies at age 98
Published September 06, 2015, Associated Press

Most Honorable Son

He took part in the August 1943 raid over Nazi oil fields in
Ploesti, Romania, that killed 310 fliers in his group. He was
captured after his plane ran out of fuel over Morocco, but he
managed to escape with crewmates to England.
Because of his Japanese ancestry, he was initially rejected
when he asked to serve on a B-29 bomber that was to be used
in the Pacific. But after repeated requests and a review of his
stellar service record, Secretary of War Harry Stimson granted
an exception.
Crew members nicknamed him "Most Honorable Son," and the
War Department gave him a Distinguished Flying Cross. He was
saluted by Time magazine in 1944 under the headline
"HEROES: Ben Kuroki, American."
He was hailed a hero and a patriot at a time when tens of
thousands of Japanese Americans were confined at internment
CAMARILLO, Calif. Ben Kuroki, who overcame the American camps amid fears of a Japanese invasion of the West Coast.
military's discriminatory policies to become the only Japanese
After the war, Kuroki enrolled at the
American to fly over Japan during World War II, has died. He
University of Nebraska, where he obtained a
was 98.
journalism degree.
Kuroki died Tuesday at his Camarillo, California, home, where
he was under hospice care, his daughter Julie Kuroki told the
Los Angeles Times on Saturday.

He published a weekly newspaper in

Nebraska for a short time before moving to
Michigan and finally to California, where he
retired as the news editor of Ventura
Star-Free Press in 1984.

The son of Japanese immigrants who was raised on a Hershey,

Nebraska, farm, Kuroki and his brother, Fred, volunteered for
service after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
In 2005, he received the U.S. Army Distinguished Service
They were initially rejected by recruiters who questioned the Medal, one of the nation's highest military honors.
loyalty of the children of Japanese immigrants. Undeterred, the "I had to fight like hell for the right to fight for my own country,"
brothers drove 150 miles to another recruiter, who allowed them Kuroki said at the award ceremony in Lincoln, Nebraska. "And I
to sign up.
now feel vindication."
At the time, the Army Air Forces banned soldiers of Japanese
ancestry from flying, but Kuroki earned his way onto a bomber
crew and flew 58 bomber missions over Europe, North Africa
and Japan during the war.

Maintenance on the go

"He can only be outside for so long before he has to get back in
the truck and warm up a bit," Carreon said. Wearing thick gloves
by Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman
in the winter time can also be a challenge. Trying to handle
354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
small parts and having bulky, thick gloves on your hands can
9/9/2015 - EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- At 20 slow progress quickly.
degrees below zero, icy roads and blinding snow make reaching
Some of the hardest calls mobile maintenance receives are in
a broken down vehicle in the Alaska wilderness challenging.
the winter with the snow fleet. If hydraulic lines go down, or
Add not knowing what tools are needed to fix the vehicle and
there is a big loss of coolant or oil, it can make a big mess and
the task at hand may seem intimidating.
impede the important mission of keeping the flight line running
24/7. It's not all bad though. There are several parts of the job
that both Airmen enjoy. "You're not stuck inside all day,"
Carreon said. "You get to go to different places most people will
never see and help out a lot of different Airmen."
Getting the job completed on site, and not having to bring the
vehicle in the shop is also a great part of mobile maintenance
for the crew. Mobile maintenance stays busy year-round. In the
summer, Crowe is usually busy with the 354th Civil Engineer
Squadron vehicles. The 354th CES completes a lot of
construction while the weather is nice, and they need a hand
with disabled vehicles once in a while.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Blake Crowe, a 354th Logistics Readiness
Squadron vehicle maintenance journeyman, drives to the site of a mobile
call, Aug. 31, 2015, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Crowe receives calls
to fix vehicles that cant be taken into the shop due to expended batteries
or unknown mechanical problems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st
Class Cassandra Whitman/Released)

Tech. Sgt. Richard N. Carreon, the 354th Logistics Readiness

Squadron NCO in-charge of customer service, and Senior
Airman Blake H. Crowe, a 354th LRS vehicle maintenance
journeyman, both know what it's like to face challenges while out
on the road fixing vehicles.
Mobile maintenance provides emergency maintenance for
anything that will hinder the mission here, said Carreon. He
coordinates and prioritizes the calls that come through and lets
Crowe, who goes out in the mobile truck, know which calls come
first and where he needs to go.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Blake Crowe, a 354th Logistics Readiness
Squadron vehicle maintenance journeyman, uses a system of maneuvers
that opens the seat and reveals the engine and battery of a forklift, Aug.
31, 2015, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Crowe needed to jumpstart
the forklift with an expended battery to get the vehicle running again.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman/Released)

"In the winter, it's not just CES we're busy with," Carreon said.
"A lot of missions can be stopped if they don't have the vehicles
"It's the whole base. We are doing constant jumpstarts due to
they need," said Carreon. "If there is a vehicle blocking an
weather and it's more difficult with the cold."
aircraft, they can't take off, and that hinders the mission."
The mobile maintenance crew is an important asset to Eielson.
There are several challenges that come with mobile
Being called to complete tasks and making judgment calls to
maintenance.
decide on which tools to bring is challenging.
Weather and the size of their area of responsibility are two of
Weather makes every-day maintenance calls more difficult and
these challenges the unit faces. The calls they take range from
exciting as the winter progresses. Mobile maintenance brings a
Fairbanks to beyond Delta Junction, a stretch of over 100 miles.
whole new meaning to the phrase "ready to go at 50 below."
Exposure to the cold weather is also a frequent challenge
See additional photos at: Eielson Air Force Base.
Crowe faces when out in the negative temperatures.
5

RED HORSE Turns 50!

Over 150 Vietnam vets gather for RED HORSE's 50th anniversary

Photo/Special to the Daily News

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Wayland Davis (back row, second from left) is shown with his combat civil engineering comrades in Vietnam in 1966.

By KELLY HUMPHREY

Mainly, however, the veterans have focused on commemorating

their celebrated history.

With their signature red hats and colorful patches on their shirts,
there's no mistaking the group of Vietnam veterans who have From the jungles of Southeast Asia to other hotspots around the
world, the members of the legendary construction force have
invaded the Ramada Inn on Okaloosa Island.
built runways and barracks and everything in between, often in
Fifty years after their unit was chartered, more than 150
hostile environments.
veterans of RED HORSE and Prime BEEF (Base Engineer
Emergency Force) have returned to Northwest Florida to renew Unfortunately, when the airmen came home from the Vietnam
friendships, share memories, and revel in the many War, they didn't exactly receive a warm welcome. On
accomplishments of the Air Force's combat civil engineering Wednesday morning, State Rep. Matt Gaetz tried to rectify that
oversight.
and construction force.
The vets traveled from as far away as Hawaii to take part in the
event, which concludes on Thursday. The group meets every
two years at locations across the country. "The folks always
enjoy coming back here, because there are lots of memories,"
said retired Chief Master Sgt. Wayland Davis, a Choctaw Beach
resident and one of the organizers of the event. "Those of us
who are 'originals' - members of the first group - got our combat
training in Eglin before we headed off to Vietnam."

"Here in Florida, we pride ourselves on being the 'Welcome

Home State' for veterans," he told the group. "I'm so happy that
you are all here today, so I can officially welcome you home on
behalf of all Floridians."
Gaetz presented the group with a commendation from the
Florida House and Senate, recognizing their accomplishments
both at home and abroad.

"We are so blessed in this corner of the world to have our own
During their stay on the Emerald Coast, the RED HORSE and RED HORSE presence," Gaetz added. "The work that they and
Prime BEEF veterans have mingled with active duty RED you have done have helped to make America stronger, and the
HORSE crews at Hurlburt Field, and heard from speakers world a better place."
ranging from a major general to local commanders.
6

Inside Moody AFB

Vehicle Management Flight transports Moody
by Airman 1st Class Greg Nash
23d WG/PA
8/19/2015 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- In the midst of
fire trucks, forklifts and aircraft loaders are more than 40 Airmen
and civilian contractors who play a pivotal role in accomplishing
the goal of providing safe and serviceable transportation for
Moody's 416 Air Force owned vehicles.

"My usual day typically involves a variety of vehicle repair work,

ranging from periodic maintenance to inspections," said Airman
1st Class Samuel Reilly, 23d LRS vehicle management
technician. "In the multipurpose shop, I do maintenance on
everything, such as cop cars, loaders and fire trucks. We
handle more extensive maintenance. If customer service can't
finish the repair within two hours, they can send the vehicle to
us to complete the job."
In addition to conducting maintenance, the VMF is solely
responsible for 416 Air Force owned vehicles in their fleet
valued at approximately $32.3 million. The VMF maintains
above the Air Combat Command's standard of 90 percent
mission-capable rate at an average of 94.9 percent, which can
change daily.
"Trucks change all the time, from different engines to
transmissions," said Zeece. "We have to troubleshoot a lot and
are always relearning configurations and methods, which is
challenging, but we're more than capable of ensuring mission
readiness.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt.s Michael Gustin (left) and Adrian Pitter, 23d
Logistics Readiness Squadron material handling equipment and refueling
maintenance craftsmen, perform a bearing and break inspection on a
forklift Aug. 11, 2015, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Over 40 Airmen and
civilian contractors in the Vehicle Management Flight help manage 470
vehicles and perform maintenance on 416 Air Force owned vehicles
valued at $32.3 million. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Greg
Nash/Released)

Consisting of six shops, the 23d Logistics Readiness Squadron

Vehicle Maintenance Flight is tasked with making sure their
fleet is serviceable to safely load cargo, move passengers,
transport aircrew members and move supply parts to base
organizations in need.
"The Vehicle Management Flight is responsible for ensuring all
transportation needs are met, and we pretty much support and
affect every entity on base," said Master Sgt. Nicholas Zeece,
23d LRS vehicle management section chief. "We perform
maintenance which contributes to providing transportation for
our base emergency responders such as ambulances, fire
trucks and security forces vehicles."

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Donald Henderson, 23d Logistics Readiness
Squadron individual protection craftsman, signs into the 23d LRS Vehicle
Management Flights customer service vehicle pick-up and return log
Aug. 11, 2015, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The customer service section
shop is the vehicle turn in center and is responsible for tracking and
accounting all scheduled maintenance on vehicle assets. (U.S. Air Force
photo by Airman 1st Class Greg Nash/Released)

"The job can be tough and some Airmen don't see the impact
they provide every day," added Zeece. "It's important to open
their eyes and to see the bigger picture. That vehicle an Airman
is repairing might be an ammunitions asset which will go out to
the flightline to load bombs on an [A-10C Thunderbolt II] to help
assist in killing the enemy. Even though we're not on the
frontlines, we are still in the fight and we play a key role in the
mission."

"Our work also affects CE [23d Civil Engineering Squadron] in

their ability to be mobile to drive around to complete projects,
getting pilots to their jets and also allowing fuels Airmen to get
to the flightline," added Zeece. "Pretty much anything with
wheels that's government property is accounted for by us and
has to go through scheduled maintenance checks to ensure
proper serviceability. It's a big and important mission."
VMF's personnel utilize their areas of expertise with various See additional photos at: Moody Vehicle Management
small to large tasks in their day-to-day operations.

Battle-tested MRAP delivered

by Angela Woolen
Robins Public Affairs
9/3/2015 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE. Ga. -- If this Mine
Resistant Ambush Protected Cougar vehicle could talk, oh, the
stories it would tell.
In January 2014, the MRAP was involved in an improvised
explosive device incident while being used by Air Force Office
of Special Investigations personnel in Afghanistan.
"It saved the lives of its occupants," said Mike Rowland,
Museum of Aviation curator. "The vehicle did what it was
supposed to," The vehicle was repaired and sent back to work
before arriving in Middle Georgia.

From left, Ed Jones, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Support
Equipment and Vehicles Division operations director, and Ted Hecker,
AFLCMC MRAP logistics manager, take time off from the sustainment and
acquisition work they do each day to take a tour of the museums new
MRAP, which is sustained here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Angela Woolen)

"It's credited with saving thousands of lives," said Jones.

The truck's tires are almost as tall as those on a monster truck.
The left rear tire was blown off during the 2014 incident. The
tan-colored vehicle's shell is thick, and there are 21 different
support equipment pieces on the vehicle.
This Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Cougar is one of the newest
vehicle assets at the Museum of Aviation. This particular MRAP took a
bomb blast in January 2014, that caused heavy damage, yet none of the
troops inside were injured. (U.S. Air Force photo by Angela Woolen)

"It's like an oversized Tonka truck," Rowland said.

The Army's 841st Transportation Battalion delivered the vehicle

from Savannah to the museum.
The museum had been offered MRAPs in the past but Rowland
wanted one that was used by the Air Force. Air Force Life Cycle
Management Center members helped make that happen.
The sustainment and acquisition for the MRAP is done by the
AFLCMC here.
"We're the cradle to the grave for this (asset)," said Ed Jones,
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Support Equipment
and Vehicles Division operations director.
"We bought them, and now we're putting one in a museum," he
said. "We continue to sustain them today."
The Air Force is divesting some of the older models - like the
MRAP at the museum - and acquiring new ones from other
military branches.
There are 810 in service today for the Air Force.

Report from New Zealand

New Zealand Trucking Industry Shares Global Sleeper berths are rare in New Zealand, as most drivers are on
the road for a day or less.
Challenges in Recruiting Drivers
There are about 4,500 trucking companies in New Zealand.
They are typically small, family owned businesses, with over
The headline reads, Transport
eighty percent of carriers having five or fewer trucks.
firms hit by driver shortage.
This article could be from Since drivers are home more often and the size of the trucks
almost any country, since are smaller, it would seem to be less of a lifestyle than a career
drivers are currently in demand when compared to the United States. Drivers are typically paid
around the globe. However, by the hour, as opposed to the mile or the load. Female drivers
this particular column was from face challenges such as lack of rest room facilities, fellow
a New Zealand magazine, drivers who harass women on the road, and equipment
which quoted one carrier executive as saying, Its just really designed with men in mind.
hard to get quality drivers we cant even get any non-quality Sleeping in a moving truck is not legal, so team operations are
drivers.
rare if non-existent.
by Ellen Voie and Simon Bridges

There are numerous differences between the United States and

New Zealand other than the size of the countries. They drive on
the opposite side of the road, live in the southern hemisphere,
and celebrate Christmas in the summer. One thing is similar for
both countries, we are all looking for drivers from non-traditional
groups, such as women.

New Zealand has not adopted electronic logbooks, so drivers

still complete paper logs. However, the only two options are
either on duty or off duty. Drivers can operate for five and a half
hours before taking a thirty minute break, and can work for a
maximum of thirteen hours before taking a ten hour break. After
seventy cumulative hours a 24-hour restart is required.

I was recently invited to speak by the New Zealand Road

Transport Forum to share best practices with about 400
trucking industry representatives at their conference in
Christchurch. I had the opportunity to meet Simon Bridges, their
Minister of Transport.

When a carrier wants to employ a new driver, they typically

train them on site and start them in a straight truck for a class
two license (class one is an automobile license). This is similar
to a graduated license system, as most drivers will start their
driving career in straight trucks, which are the majority of trucks
Women make up only three percent of the driver population in on the road.
New Zealand, which is about half of the percentage of female Every trucking company I visited had their own training
drivers in the United States. The country is also experiencing instructors, who are also employed as drivers. Trucking schools
an aging driver population, as the average age of a driver is are very rare in New Zealand. Bay of Plenty, Polytechnic
fifty-three years.
School in Tauranga offers class five driver license training in a
New Zealand is a small country, about the size of Japan, and two-day course that offers 16 hours of practical driver training
has about four million residents separated into two main islands for $1,250 New Zealand dollars ($782.68 U.S. dollars).
called the North Island and South Island. You can drive from There is no minimum driver training standards established in
Auckland in the North Island to Invercargill in the South Island New Zealand.
in less than a day, and that includes a three-hour ferry ride
If a driver wants to move into a higher weight vehicle, he or she
between the islands.
must obtain a class three license to operate a lighter
There are about 22,500 trucks in New Zealand, but these combination unit under 25,000 kilograms (kg) (55,115 pounds).
include straight trucks in addition to semi-trailer combination A class four license allows the operator to drive a rigid vehicle
units and B trains, or tractor units with two semi-trailers over 18,000 kg (about 40,000 pounds) and the top license,
attached. Sixty percent of their trucks operate without a trailer class five, allows the driver to operate any combination vehicle
and most are day cabs.
over 25,000 kg (55,115 pounds).
Continued on PG 10
9

Report from New Zealand

New Zealand Trucking Industry Shares Global A shortage of drivers, aging driver population, and a growing
need for capacity isnt just an issue we face here in the United
Challenges in Recruiting Drivers
Drivers must have a class two to proceed to a class four
license, but must hold each preceding license for a
minimum of six months. However, drivers over 25 years old can
move on to the next license after three months or completion of
an approved instruction course.
Additional endorsements can be obtained for forklift operation
(class F), driving instructor (class I), or dangerous goods or
hazardous materials (class D).

States and Canada. Countries around the globe are struggling

with many of the same issues, and for this reason, are looking
for more women to fill empty seats.
Women In Trucking Association is fast becoming the global
leader in offering resources and best practices in attracting and
retaining female drivers.

Drivers licenses are good for five years, and their medical certificates expire at the same time. This has actually been an
area of concern for some employers who have aging drivers
whose physical health might change in less than the five-year
period.

Managing Public Sector

Vehicles & Equipment

Long Beach Adding Hybrids for Police

Commanders
September 16, 2015

by Paul Clinton
The City of Long Beach (Calif.) has begun testing whether it
could assign gasoline-electric hybrids to police commanders as
a strategy for lowering fuel costs in the police department, the
city's fleet manager told Government Fleet.
By replacing the entire fleet of vehicles used by command staff
and detectives, the city could save more than $100,000 per
year in fuel costs, according to Dan Berlenbach, fleet manager.
"As we work toward a more sustainable fleet for the city, one of
our more challenging goals is to green the police fleet,"
Berlenbach said. "This use of hybrids for unmarked police use
can take us a long way toward that goal."
Photo courtesy of City of Long Beach
The city has been using Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
sedans for most of its police fleet, but has begun replacing
these vehicles. When Ford discontinued the CVPI in 2011, the See full story and additional photos at: Government Fleet
city stockpiled these vehicles, but that stockpile has been
depleted, Berlenbach said.
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10/16/2015

Martins offer.

Oshkoshs Offering for JLTV

Based on the [post-award] debrief, were more confident

than ever that the decision to award the JLTV contract to
Oshkosh will in fact be upheld, Bryant said, and our
soldiers and Marines will get this vehicle after what
amounts to a relatively short delay as short, in fact,
as Oshkosh c a n l e g a l l y make it.

Related Articles
8/25/2015

Defense One
9/8/2015

Journal Sentinel
9/22/2015

National Defense Magazine

10/19/2015

Federal News Radio

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Historic Military 'Road Trip'

1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy
"In the summer of 1919, a young
Lieutenant Colonel named Dwight D.
Eisenhower participated in the first
Army transcontinental motor convoy.
The expedition consisted of eighty-one
motorized Army vehicles that crossed
the United States from Washington,
D.C. to San Francisco, a venture
covering a distance of 3,251 miles in 62
days. The expedition was manned by
24 officers and 258 enlisted men. The
major objectives of the expedition were
to test various military vehicles, many
developed too late for use in World War
I, and to determine by actual
experience the feasibility of moving an
army across the continent. A sense of
realism was added by operating the
convoy under wartime conditions.
In the words of the Expeditionary Adjutant Officer it was assumed..."that railroad facilities, bridges,
tunnels, etc. had been damaged or destroyed by agents of an Asiatic enemy. The expedition was
assumed to be marching through enemy country and therefore had to be self-sustaining throughout"....
Colonel Eisenhower and Major Sereno Brett, joined the convoy the first night out of Washington in
Frederick, Maryland as Tank Corps observers. There were 24 expeditionary officers, thirteen other War
Department staff observation officers, and 258 enlisted men with the convoy. It was to proceed to San
Francisco via the Lincoln Highway (now U.S. 30), a series of roads that "varied from average to
non-existent." Ike wrote that the trip was a genuine adventure. "We were not sure it could be
accomplished at all. Nothing of the sort had ever been attempted."
"But the convoy had a serious mission and was overall a great success. Written reports now part of the
Eisenhower Library archival holdings show that much valuable information about the performance of
various makes and sizes of trucks, types of tires, and repair equipment was gained through the expedition.
The public relations aspect of the trip was a success, too. Passing through about 350 communities in
eleven states plus the District of Columbia, the convoy was witnessed by approximately 3,250,000 people.
Local publicity brought the convoy to the attention of an
estimated additional 33,000,000 people across the country.
Several hundred Army recruits were obtained as a direct result
of the convoy.
One report notes that "all along the route, great interest in the
Good Roads Movement was aroused ... and it was reported
that several states had voted favorably on large issues of road
bonds." When Eisenhower became President over 30 years
after the Transcontinental Motor Convoy, and after seeing the
autobahns of Germany during World War II, one of his top
priorities was the building of an interstate highway system in
the United States. In At Ease he wrote, "The old convoy had
started me thinking about good, two-lane highways, but
Germany had made me see the wisdom of broader ribbons
across the land." (At Ease, pp. 166-67)"
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