Army Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) Course

This footage was from the course, 500ASI-R1, conducted at FT Eustis, VA. BIG shoutout to the 2 instructors, Mr. Reighard and Mr. Moseley, whose knowledge and expertise not only made this course extremely informative and practical but also enjoyable and easy to apply the operational concepts of the RT240.

The following is a summary of the vehicle utilized and its operational specifications:

The Kalmar RT240 Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) is a militarized model of commercial design. It was adopted by the US military. It is a successor to the Caterpillar RTCH, which entered service with the US military back in 1981. This machine operates on rough terrain, beaches, and other unimproved surfaces. The US Army awarded a production contract for a new rough terrain container handler in 2000. This machine was first fielded in 2001. By 2004 the US Army operated 346 Kalmar RT240 container handlers. At that time the US Marine Corps ordered 25 RTCH systems with a possible order for another 80 systems. It is also in service with Australia and the United Kingdom.

The container handlers are used to handle standard shipping containers, which are the backbone of military logistics. The Kalmar RTCH lifts, moves, stacks, and unstacks standard 20 ft and 40 ft ISO containers. This machine can move containers with a maximum weight of 24 t. It can stack containers three high and is capable of picking up a container in the second row. The container handler of the RT240 is capable of side shifting, rotation, and tilting forward/rear or left/right.

This machine can move containers on sites where there is minimal or often destroyed infrastructure. It can operate on various terrain, including sand, mud, and even water.

This military machine is powered by Cummins QSM 11 turbocharged multi-fuel diesel engine, developing 400 hp. The vehicle has all-wheel drive. This machine uses two-wheel steering for traveling on highways and four-wheel steering for loading duties and operation in confined sites. Also, it has a crab steer for parallel driving when operating close to walls or other obstacles. The RT240 is capable of operating in up to 1.5 m of seawater.

This container handler can be airlifted after short preparation by the C-17 or C-5 military cargo aircraft. During preparation transport height of this machine is reduced. However, no disassembly is required. The Kalmar RTCH can operate in temperatures from -40°C to +50°C.