MV Spotlight: CCKW 2-1/2 ton 6×6 Cargo Truck

The GMC CCKW is generally considered to be the truck that won World War II. It was a medium-duty all-wheel-drive 2 1/2-ton truck. The CCW was an almost identical truck, lacking the front wheel drive.

The short-wheelbase version was the GMC model CCKW-352, and the long wheelbase truck was known as the CCKW-353. The CCKW-353 was intended as a general-purpose cargo truck and personnel transport, while the CCKW-352 was built as a prime mover for the Field Artillery, towing 75mm and 105mm weapons.

Some of the trucks were built with winches. The cargo beds were initially steel, but in August/September 1942, the trucks began using wooden beds and, finally in January 1944, a body of composite steel and wood construction began to be used.

The earliest models had fully enclosed cabs, but these were replaced in production during 1942 with the military standard open cab.

The CCKW was fitted with a greater array of body types than any other World War II era vehicles. In addition to cargo trucks, several different body types were installed including the dump body shownabove.

Weight: 10,350 lbs.
Size (LxWxH): 231” x 86.25” x 93”
Max Speed: 45 mph
Range: 300 miles

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?

Buy the best you can afford. Restoring a vehicle will always be more expensive than buying a finished project.

The vehicles in this guide are given a valuebased on a 1-to-6 condition grading scale:

1=Excellent: Restored to maximum professional standards, or a near-perfect original.

2=Fine: Well-restored, or a combination of superior restoration and excellent original parts.

3=Very Good: Complete and operable original or older restoration, or a very good amateur restoration with all presentable and serviceable parts inside and out.

4=Good: Functional or needing only minor work to be functional. Also, a deteriorated restoration or poor amateur restoration.

5=Restorable: Needs complete restoration of body, chassis, and interior. May or may not be running, but is not wrecked, weathered or stripped to the point of being useful only for parts.

6=Parts Vehicle: Deteriorated beyond the point of restoration.