Uparmor International

[nate_o23]

Ever see an armored International Semi?
Wasn't really sure where to post this. Its not really a gun truck but this seemed like the best place. These are trucks KBR uses to haul fuel around Iraq. It may have some armor but I sure wouldnt want to be driving one with all that fuel behind me!

 

[steelsoldiers]

Good pics Nate. Man, those fuel trailers are big targets. Have you seen any tankers with armor on the sides? If I were the driver I would want some sort of blast shield between the cab and the trailer. I mean, I know you can't protect against every possible attack, but a blast shield might give the driver a better chance of getting out of the cab intact if the trailer was hit.

Thanks as always for the pics and insight.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

I would rig up a release lever in the cab so I could unhook the trailer once it was on fire and get the hell out of there...

 

[Stretch44875]

Anyone else having problems seeing these pics? Last pics from iraq couldn't see them either.

Dennis

That was weird, posted my reply and the pics showed up.

 

[jeli]

Small arms fire won't do much. RPG would leave a mark. When I hauled gas people would always ask me if I was worried about blowing up. Working at night and having to stand in a gas station parking lot, many times on a street corner. I told them I had a better chance of getting hit in a drive by than anything to do with hauling 8000 gallons of gasoline.

 

[WillWagner]

These are close, but not..

http://www.navistarinternational.com/site_layout/militarybusiness/Intl_5000_MV.asp

Some cool lookin' stuff there.

 

[jeli]

Click on the showcase icon in the upper right corner. Cool video.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

We are using a bedliner like compound to spray on our tankers that has a special additive that stops the leaks and protects the fuel from small arms fire. Fuel without sufficient air will not burn and that is the concept. On the MSR's in Iraq there are many black spots where the fuel tankers without this have burned the tanker and tractor to the ground. The fifth wheel release idea is one we had in our kit bag for dropping a hot tanker the only issue is it leaves the road with a burning tanker careening on the MSR. The effect small arms fire has on a convoy is to speed up and shoot back with everything you have, thankfully the M2 50 cal is still a feared and effective counter ambush weapon we mount on almost every escort vehicle.

 

[rattlecan6104]

i just want the truck!

 

[m52a2]

I don't see the picture lets see if it now shows after reply...

 

[txdodge43man]

Ive seen them on the back of trucks heading to the ship channel here in houston, Texas

 

[M813rc]

On a lot of threads the pictures don't show up if you are not logged in. If you log in to post a reply, voila! you have pictures. Took me a while to figure that out at first

Cheers

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Time has passed but not much has changed.

 

[bulldog_mack13]

I vote for the truck in the last pic.

But im a Mack fan

 

[Lonesome715]

Before I got into my current job over here I drove those trucks. I have also been behind two that got hit. The first one was a total loss but the driver survived. (Kind of). Once those tankers start burning, you do not have much time at all if any. I have photographs of some tankers that got hit and did not ignite, but I do not post battle damage. Those trucks cost $200,000 off the lot. I know because I have to conduct an investigation when one is destroyed in my “jurisdiction”. Some complain because if the blast is big enough, some of the welds on the cab open up. I would think if that blast is big enough any weld would open up. As long as the driver survived I do not get a damn if a seam broke or not. They are very comfortable trucks when stopped, but they ride like a tank.

 

[gunboy1656]

I know its not a semi but hows this for ya. Dont know if they are still running these, last word I got was one had been rolled over by a blast, put back up and drove off. very little damage.

Scott

 

[Lonesome715]

No, thay stopped using them in this area becuase of a fatal EFP attack. That was the first known fatality in a Rhino since they were put into service.

 

[TheWizard]

they still use Rhinos some places here in Iraq though, i have had a few in my convoys at some point or another. and the Internationals, i have seen probably hundreds of them.

hey Lonesome, what do you mean the driver kind of survived? i met a driver over here that they call "Crispy" and he says he earned the name (it appears he did)

 

[m109guy]

Those armored tanker trucks are pretty cool. I think Mad Max could have used one of them

 

[FireFighterHill]

Small arms fire wont cause a fire or explosion, even if it punctures there would be no fire. The fuel would have to vaporize before it could burn. We would go do to Gunner Gate the main gate at Taji and put wooden dowel's in the tankers that got shot up. When I was there mainly they only ran the fuel convoys at night.