If you have an M1120, M1120A2 or M1120A4 HEMTT LHS, then you’ll want to pay close attention to payloads. Which of these brutes can lift the most? That’s a trick question because they can all lift the same amount. But there are some equipment considerations to take into account.
TACOM’s Ground Safety Action (GSA) messages GSA 20-013 and GSA 21-004 outline the lifting requirements, but there’s been some confusion, so let’s talk weight lifting.
The M1120, M1120A2 and M1120A4 HEMTTs are equipped with the same load handling system (LHS), which means they all have a maximum payload lifting capacity of 26,000 pounds. This maximum payload capacity is to be evenly distributed, and it includes the container, load, flat rack, packing materials and any fastening devices, like chains or ratchet straps.
Now this is where it can get a little tricky. If your unit has trucks in the M1120 series that have the container handling unit (CHU) or enhanced container handling unit (ECHU) installed, the maximum lifting capacity is decreased to 23,283 pounds. That’s because you have to take into account the added weight of the CHU/ECHU equipment.
The bottom line is any M1120 LHS variant with a CHU or ECHU will never be able to lift the same maximum capacity payload as a standard M1120.
Look for a future update to TM 9-2320-345-10 (Sep 20). It should include a new table with weight capacities for all HEMTT LHS variants.