Fire Engines Photos

Very typical of the 90s, when most German WLF were maximum GVW two axle chassis.

The "load switching truck" concept was introduced in the 1970s and gradually caught on across all of what was then West Germany. Use one chassis to transport any one of a wide variety of special purpose containers, each of which was not often individually needed.

This way a brigade could have a foam tender and a hose layer and a BA support unit and a hazmat truck and/or practically anything else - all with the expense of only buying one or two WLF chassis to carry the equipment around.

Even if a single incident required multiple pods, any WLF could in extremis drop one off and go back to base to pick up a second.

As the concept spread, so it also evolved with larger 6X4 and even occasionally 8X4 WLF chassis to a carry increasingly bigger and heavier pods - which are now pretty much universal in most countries which use this system.

France is a notable exception, where most VPB chassis are still two axle - because many cities and towns pose access problems for larger trucks.

Added by Rob Johnson on 30 June 2018.

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