If you thought teaching a teenager how to drive for the first time was a nerve-wracking experience, sit in the passenger seat as a young soldier prepares to drive something much, much larger than your typical pickup truck for the first time ever. I promise you, neither strong drink nor Xanax will prepare you for what you are about to experience. It’s not to knock the abilities of new military members or their skill levels, but the majority of them have never experienced what trucks like the LMTV are all about, have never driven anything that large before, and certainly aren’t ready to see just how capable they truly are. Luckily, there are training courses that teach these new drivers the skills that they will need to safely operate these large trucks before they get their DA Form 348 (Equipment Operator’s Qualification Record, aka Military Driver’s License). During some of the confidence courses I’ve been in, off-road trails that would be considered “fun” by gearheads were my proving grounds. At no point in my military career have I seen an obstacle quite like what you’ll see here: it’s a sharp grade, meant to showcase an LMTV’s ability to attack and climb an obstacle. From personal experience, I can assure you that these medium-duty trucks are very capable and can handle obstacles that most normal off-roaders would back away from. That being said, whoever decided to let Johnny Leadfoot run test #2 is regretting that decision right about now. Why do I say that? Well…let’s just say that I’ve NEVER seen an LMTV unload it’s suspension quite like this one does.
