HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The Air Force is updating its refueling truck fleet by introducing commercial vehicles to replace aging equipment and boost mission readiness. The 75th Logistics Readiness Squadrons Fuels Operations team at Hill was chosen as one of the first units to integrate the commercial refuelers into their fleet and provide feedback.
For years, R-11 fuel trucks served as the primary refueling vehicles on flight lines. However, with an average fleet age of more than 20 years, the trucks face increasing maintenance hurdles, scarce replacement parts, and vendor shortages that hinder operations.
To address these challenges, the Air Force Petroleum Office (AFPET) and the Vehicle Supply Chain Operations Squadron (VSCOS) created a strategy to transition certain installations to a fleet composed of 30% commercial trucks and 70% tactical vehicles, demonstrating a blend of operational efficiency and cost-saving measures.
Adding commercial refuelers benefits base fuels operations by not only cutting delivery times in half on new trucks but also speeding up parts delivery, as legacy R-11 parts are becoming harder to find.
"The parts for the commercial refueler are universally available, making them easy and affordable to purchase from various local suppliers,” said Master Sgt. Nathan Cyr, Fuels Information Service Center section chief. “The vehicle's design and the accessibility of its components also make it significantly easier for our maintenance team to conduct repairs."
According to Master Sgt. Dakota Ferris, Fuels Operations section chief, the commercial refuelers will be supplementary, not a total replacement for the R-11 truck. Unlike tactical R-11s, the commercial trucks are not currently airlift approved and cannot be deployed for worldwide contingency operations.
“By balancing the fleet with a mix of commercial and tactical vehicles at home stations, the Air Force preserves its deployable R-11 assets for the warfighter while ensuring domestic training and testing missions have the reliable fuel support they need,” Ferris said.
Cyr said the team designed their own training plans and checklists for the new trucks, which operate similarly to the R-11. He said with their knowledge and expertise on the R-11, becoming proficient in the new trucks has been a fluid transition.
The team at Hill have had the two trucks for a couple of months. Lessons learned on training and logistical feedback, such as finding the hoses too short and exposed wires, have been already sent up to AFPET and VSCOS. Cyr said his team have already alleviated those minor issues by putting the wires in a metal box and ordering a longer hose.
Integrating commercial trucks also benefits the Airmen, who become more knowledgeable in operating and maintaining multiple types of equipment. Cyr said this exposure makes them more mechanically inclined.
“Having mechanically inclined people can be the difference between fixing equipment on the spot or having to turn it in. If a jet needs to take off right away and the person on site can't make the fix, we have to send a whole new truck. That's a delay we could avoid just by giving that person more experience with different equipment," he said.
Currently, 19 allocated 7,000-gallon commercial refuelers have been delivered to six Air Force bases. Additional units are expected to be delivered to 11 additional locations by the end of 2026.