The Texas Forest Service gets the trucks from the Federal Government.
They have a 18 wheeler with a flatbed trailer that goes around to different bases picking up trucks for use by the Fire Departments. The special flatbed trailer has a winch and can haul 2 M35 size trucks at a time. The trucks are taken to Lufkin first to be checked out by Forest Service Mechanics before being issued out. The trucks remain property of the Federal Government and must be returned to the Texas Forest Service if not needed anymore. If the returned trucks can still be used, they are re-issued to another department, if not they are stored or auctioned off at the "boneyard" in Lufkin. I've never been to the Lufkin yard, but I've been told that it's huge.
Normally the Forest Service gives out M35's, but I've heard of some fire departments getting 5 ton trucks if requested. Supposedly they are starting to get some M35A3's in to be issued out.
Most of the time the trucks are in great shape, but sometimes a "lemon" does get through. The Forest Service is real helpful in helping us find parts, replacing trucks, etc. If we have a part break, the mechanics in Lufkin will try to find it in the boneyard and ship it to us, or have our local Forest Service rep pick it up for us, all free of charge to us.
When we send trucks back to Lufkin we pretty much strip them down for spare parts, they only require that the truck have an engine block and 6 tires when returned.
We currently have 2 M35A2's in service as brush fire trucks, here is the one we put in service this last January.
