• EnTrans Marine Corps contract: Awarded at $49.1 million over 5 years to retrofit ~200 M870A2 trailers with an “Off‑Road” suspension upgrade – competitively bid (2 proposals), with work based in Gatesville, TX, through April 2030.
• Performance boost: Upgrades enable on/off‑road hauling of up to 37.5 tons – a step-change in mobility for the USMC’s Medium Heavy Equipment Transporter trailers.
• Momentum in defense mobility: Initial delivery orders issued post-award; contract lands just days after EnTrans’s separate $588.6 M U.S. Army TFDS tanker trailer award – signaling sustained program velocity in military logistics.

Engineered Transportation International (EnTrans) – the parent of Heil Trailer – has landed a significant U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) contract to upgrade the suspension systems of the Marines’ heavy equipment transport trailers. This new EnTrans Marine Corps contract is a 5-year, $49 million award aimed at modernizing roughly 200 of the Marine Corps’ M870A2-series Medium Heavy Equipment Transporter (MHET) trailers. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract runs through April 2030 and underscores EnTrans’s expanding role in supporting USMC tactical vehicles. The program’s goal is to advance the Marines’ logistics capabilities by integrating an “M870A2-Off-Road” suspension upgrade onto the existing trailer fleet, substantially improving their performance on rough terrain while maintaining road-hauling capacity.

For more news and updates on EnTrans and its latest projects, check out our EnTrans news page.

EnTrans Wins $49M Contract to Upgrade Marine Corps Heavy Trailers. Figure: A Marine Corps Logistics Vehicle System (MK48 tractor) hauling a heavy bulldozer on an M870A2 trailer. The new EnTrans contract will retrofit such heavy equipment transporter trailers with advanced suspension components for better off-road performance. These enhancements are expected to increase mobility in austere environments significantly.

EnTrans Marine Corps Contract Overview: Upgrading Heavy Trailers for Off‑Road Duty

In April 2025, the Marine Corps Systems Command awarded EnTrans’s Heil Trailer International LLC a $49.12 million contract to procure, produce, and integrate an M870A2-Off-Road (OR) suspension upgrade engineering change proposal (ECP) onto the Corps’ existing M870A2-S heavy equipment trailers. In practical terms, Heil Trailer (an EnTrans subsidiary) will retrofit approximately 200 of these 40‑ton capacity trailers with new suspension and mobility enhancements, ensuring they can haul up to 37.5‑ton payloads on unimproved roads and cross-country terrain. The work is being performed at EnTrans’s Kalyn Siebert manufacturing plant in Gatesville, Texas – a facility experienced in heavy-haul trailer production – with final deliveries expected by April 2030.

This project culminates a multi-year effort by the Marine Corps to improve the off-road capability of its MHET trailers. The M870A2-S trailer, fielded initially in 2006 as a 3-axle, 40-ton heavy equipment transporter, required enhancements to handle rugged environments. A prior initiative (awarded in 2020 to Hendrickson and Growler) developed an improved suspension solution and produced prototype units. The newly awarded EnTrans contract now moves into full fleet implementation of that solution.

According to official contract details, the upgrades will maintain the trailers’ on-road performance while significantly boosting off-road mobility. This involves extensive modifications – reinforcing the trailer chassis, adding new suspension components, and updating braking and tire systems – all geared toward greater durability and stability on rough terrain. EnTrans has reported that the upgraded package will include modern anti-lock brakes, advanced shock absorbers and dampers, heavy-duty axle assemblies, a central tire inflation system (CTIS), updated wiring harnesses, and even new rear loading ramps as needed.

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EnTrans gets a $49.1M, five‑year IDIQ to upgrade ~200 M870A2 trailers by April 2030.

Together, these improvements will give the aging M870 trailers the ability to traverse austere environments with heavy loads, aligning with the Marines’ need for dependable logistics in areas with minimal infrastructure. Hendrickson, the suspension supplier during the prototype phase, noted that the design features a robust long-travel trailing arm suspension with a TRLAXLE heavy-duty axle assembly and advanced torque rods, providing exceptional wheel articulation and stability for off-road use. Structural reinforcements on the trailer’s frame and fifth-wheel areas will further increase robustness under extreme conditions. In practical terms, once the upgrades are complete, a Marine unit will be able to tow heavy bulldozers or recovery vehicles across rough terrain with far less risk of trailer damage or bogging down.

For more on heavy-duty suspension innovations, see our HD Suspensions section.

Jake Radish, President and COO of EnTrans, emphasized the company’s dedication to the mission, stating, “This award reflects the unwavering dedication we have to supporting the U.S. military… We are honored to serve those who serve our country, and our team is focused on executing this contract with flawless precision and pride. With our capacity, new facilities, and infrastructure, the contract will not impact our ability to serve our current customers.” EnTrans’s team is thus focused on delivering the upgrades “with flawless precision and pride,” while ensuring that handling this military project “will not impact our ability to serve our current customers”.

Kevin Tumlin, EnTrans’s Director of Defense Sales and Business Development, echoed the significance of the deal: “We are proud to partner with the U.S. Marine Corps… For decades, Heil Trailer has been manufacturing defense products that are in use all over the world.” For additional insights into Heil Trailer’s contributions and latest developments, explore our Heil Trailer news section. Tumlin noted that this contract builds on Heil’s long legacy of building durable military tankers and trailers worldwide. EnTrans officials further highlighted that this mission-critical trailer upgrade demonstrates the trust the Marine Corps has in EnTrans’s capabilities and “builds on our longstanding history of delivering reliable, mission-critical systems to the USMC,” as Michael Gray, EnTrans’s VP of Defense Programs, observed.

Marine Corps M870A2 trailers upgraded for off‑road mobility and mission readiness.

Notably, this Marine Corps contract was a competitively bid opportunity solicited via SAM.gov. Marine Corps Systems Command received two proposals for the suspension upgrade program and ultimately selected EnTrans’s solution as the winner. The competitive award indicates that EnTrans (through Heil Trailer) outperformed at least one other contractor in meeting the Corps’ requirements for cost and capability. The contract is structured as an IDIQ arrangement with a maximum value of $49.1 million, meaning the Marine Corps can issue task orders up to that amount over the five years. No funds were obligated at the time of the base award; instead, funding is applied via individual delivery orders.

For additional insights into major industry contracts and their implications, browse our Contracts news hub.

An initial delivery order, issued in April 2025, obligated roughly $1.244 million for the first batch of upgrades. The project’s timeline through 2030 suggests a carefully phased retrofit schedule, allowing the Marine Corps to upgrade a portion of its trailer fleet each year without disrupting ongoing operations. By the end of the program, the majority of the Marines’ M870A2-S trailers will be converted to the new “M870A2-OR” configuration, extending their service life and significantly enhancing the Marine Corps’ heavy equipment transport capability both on and off the road.

EnTrans’s Defense Expansion and Technical Insight

Modernizing the M870A2 Trailer Fleet

The M870A2 series heavy equipment transporter is a crucial logistics asset for both the Army and Marine Corps. What is the M870A2 heavy equipment trailer? It’s essentially a low-bed semitrailer designed to be towed by 5‑ton or larger tractors, used for hauling heavy vehicles like bulldozers, combat engineering equipment, and even tanks in some cases. The M870A2-S variant used by the Marine Corps is rated for a payload of ~40 tons (up to ~80,000 lbs) and features a fold-down gooseneck with loading ramps so that equipment can be driven on and off. To learn about other specialized trailer types and their roles in transportation, explore our Trailers section.

Marines typically pair these trailers with the Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) MkR16 tractor or the older MK48/16 tractor units, which provide the necessary hauling power and off-road traction. The “-S” in M870A2-S denotes upgrades like air-ride suspension and anti-lock brakes that were incorporated around 2006 to modernize the base M870A2 design. However, as the Corps shifted toward heavier expeditionary operations on rough terrain, it became clear that further improvements were needed for truly off-road operations.

How will the new suspension upgrade improve off-road performance?

Hendrickson TRLAXLE delivers long‑travel stability and load control across rough terrain.

The core objective of the M870A2-Off-Road upgrade is to give these trailers vastly improved mobility on harsh terrain without sacrificing their on-road hauling capability. The upgraded suspension is engineered for greater wheel travel and shock absorption, allowing the trailer to traverse uneven ground while keeping heavy payloads stable. In the prototype phase, Hendrickson’s design featured a long-travel trailing arm suspension with heavy-duty axles (TRLAXLE assemblies) and advanced TRAAX-Rod torque rods to maximize wheel articulation and durability. For the production upgrade, central tire inflation systems (CTIS) are being added to enable tire pressure adjustments on the fly, improving traction on sand, mud, or rocky ground. For more insight into heavy-duty suspension systems, you can browse our HD Suspensions section.

To understand how tire inflation technology enhances vehicle mobility, check out our Tire Inflation Systems page.

An enhanced anti-lock braking system with electronic controls will improve stopping power and safety on steep or slick surfaces. Moreover, structural reinforcements – such as strengthened main beams and neck frames – will increase the trailer’s robustness under extreme conditions. All these changes contribute to a trailer that can reliably “line-haul heavy equipment… on and off-road in accordance with M870 specifications,” as the company reported. In practical terms, once retrofitted, a Marine unit will be able to tow heavy bulldozers or recovery vehicles across rough battlefields or disaster zones with far less risk of the trailer sustaining damage or bogging down.

Hendrickson TRAXXRods hold axle geometry under heavy loads for precise off‑road handling.

This off-road upgrade program also illustrates a successful collaboration between the military and industry over several years. The Marine Corps’ Program Manager for Medium & Heavy Tactical Vehicles (PM MHTV), working with the Nevada Automotive Test Center, first developed a technical demonstrator proving the off-road concept around 2018–2019. That led to a 2019–2020 pilot contract – executed by small business Growler Manufacturing & Engineering in partnership with suspension-maker Hendrickson – which yielded two first-article upgraded trailers and a complete technical data package.

Those prototype trailers were tested extensively, showing dramatically improved off-road endurance and payload handling. Building on that success, the Corps then moved to full production – and this is where EnTrans enters the picture with the new contract. For more on Hendrickson’s innovative suspension technologies and partnerships, visit our Hendrickson news page.

Notably, Kalyn Siebert, the EnTrans division performing the retrofit work, is intimately familiar with the product: Kalyn Siebert has built M870-series trailers for the military in the past (indeed, some M870A2-S units in service were manufactured by Kalyn Siebert). This in-house expertise, combined with EnTrans’s engineering resources, positioned the company as an ideal partner to execute the fleet-wide upgrades. By 2030, the Marine Corps will have a standardized fleet of M870A2-OR trailers capable of supporting expeditionary heavy-lift needs in challenging environments – a significant enhancement as the Marines refocus on distributed operations and austere theaters where robust logistics vehicles are critical.

EnTrans’s 2025 Contracts and Strategic Growth

Off‑road suspension upgrade boosts mobility without sacrificing highway performance. (Training shot highlights USMC procedures for loading/hauling on the M870A2 platform.)

While the Marine Corps suspension-upgrade contract is a milestone on its own, it arrived amid a series of significant developments for EnTrans in 2025. In fact, the USMC award was the second large military contract announced for the company within the span of a week. Just days earlier, EnTrans (through Heil Trailer) had secured a 10-year, $588 million U.S. Army contract to produce the new Tactical Fuel Distribution System (TFDS) tanker trailers. Under that Army deal – which runs through 2030 (and potentially through 2035 with option years) – Heil Trailer will build advanced fuel tank trailers with aviation refueling capability, with production centered at EnTrans’s Athens, Tennessee plant.

The Army contract, noted as one of the largest in Heil’s history, marked a massive expansion of EnTrans’s defense manufacturing portfolio. Kevin Tumlin of EnTrans highlighted at the time, “For decades, Heil Trailer has been manufacturing defense products that are in use all over the world,” reinforcing that these recent contracts leverage a deep well of experience. Indeed, the Athens facility has been fulfilling U.S. military trailer orders since 2001, building fuel and water tankers used in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other deployments. Now, with major Army and Marine Corps programs in motion simultaneously, EnTrans is supplying critical equipment for both fuel logistics and heavy equipment transport – two pillars of military support operations.

Who is responsible for the USMC trailer upgrades?

The execution of the Marine Corps trailer retrofit will be carried out by EnTrans’s Heil Trailer International LLC unit, specifically at the Kalyn Siebert plant in Texas. Heil Trailer is the contracting entity of record for the deal, and as a brand, it brings over a century of trailer manufacturing expertise (founded in 1901) to the table. EnTrans, as the parent company, provides additional engineering, program management, and production capacity across its family of brands. It’s worth noting that Engineered Transportation International (EnTrans) was acquired by Canada-based TerraVest Industries in March 2025 – just weeks before these contracts were announced – in a transaction valued at $546 million (plus an earn-out up to $46 million).

Line‑haul payloads up to 37.5 tons across unimproved terrain. (Training shot highlights USMC procedures for loading/hauling on the M870A2 platform.)

TerraVest’s acquisition of EnTrans (its largest deal ever) brought EnTrans’s well-known brands – Heil Trailer, Polar Tank Trailer, Kalyn Siebert, and Jarco – under the TerraVest umbrella. According to TerraVest, EnTrans was a strategic fit due to its “broadest and most reputable product suite in the industry” and proven Department of Defense expertise. EnTrans CEO Ryan Rockafellow noted that the partnership with TerraVest allows EnTrans to expand capabilities and grow product offerings further. The rapid succession of defense contract wins in April 2025 seems to validate TerraVest’s confidence, revealing synergies between EnTrans’s engineering strengths and TerraVest’s resources that are now benefiting the U.S. military. For updates on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) programs and logistics initiatives, see our DOD news coverage.

From an industry perspective, EnTrans’s burst of defense-sector success is significant. It signals that traditional commercial trailer manufacturers, with the right design innovations, can secure major military procurement programs even against specialized defense OEMs. The Marine Corps contract in particular was a competitive procurement with multiple bidders, suggesting EnTrans had to demonstrate superior value or performance in its proposal.

The company’s ability to leverage new technologies (for example, its partnership with Drōv Technologies on intelligent trailer systems) and its multi-site manufacturing capacity likely strengthened its bids. EnTrans President Jake Radish remarked that this wave of contracts “marks an exciting new chapter” for the company, reflecting a broader vision to expand its defense offerings. For the U.S. Marines and Army, bringing EnTrans on board diversifies their supplier base and injects fresh innovation into trailer programs that are vital for operational readiness.

When will the Marine Corps trailer upgrades be completed?

CTIS, ABS, and heavy‑duty axles define the M870A2‑OR package.

The suspension retrofits are scheduled to be finished by spring 2030. The contract timeline aligns with a gradual implementation – roughly translating to upgrading about 40 trailers per year on average (though delivery order sizes may vary). This approach ensures the Marines can rotate trailers out of service for modification while still meeting day-to-day transport needs with the remaining fleet. By April 2030, when the last upgraded M870A2-OR is delivered, the Marine Corps will have a fully enhanced heavy trailer fleet to support equipment transport.

The timing is strategic: it dovetails with broader force modernization efforts as the Marine Corps prepares for potential challenges in the late 2020s and beyond. Reliable heavy equipment transporters with off-road suspension will significantly increase the Corps’ logistical flexibility in expeditionary operations. EnTrans, for its part, will have solidified its reputation as a global leader in specialty transportation equipment, providing innovative engineered solutions to meet both commercial and military needs. The successful execution of this contract – alongside the concurrent Army TFDS program – will likely position EnTrans firmly for future defense opportunities, whether additional trailer upgrades, sustainment contracts, or new logistics systems.

Overall, the EnTrans Marine Corps trailer upgrade contract is a noteworthy development in both the heavy-trailer industry and the defense logistics community. It brings together a century-old trailer maker and the cutting-edge requirements of the modern Marine Corps. The outcome is a positive step for military capability: an aging fleet will be revitalized with advanced engineering, directly bolstering the Marines’ mission readiness. As the project moves forward, industry watchers and military logisticians alike will be keen to see the improved M870A2-OR trailers roll out, carrying hefty loads confidently across “all-terrain environments.”

This public-private partnership not only benefits the Marines who will utilize the upgraded equipment but also reinforces EnTrans’s standing as a key player in the specialized arena of military heavy transport solutions. Stay updated on the latest developments in military logistics and equipment by visiting our Military news page.

Key Developments — EnTrans Marine Corps Contract (M870A2‑OR)

• Award snapshot: $49,118,320 firm‑fixed‑price, IDIQ to Heil Trailer International LLC (EnTrans) for the M870A2‑Off‑Road (OR) suspension upgrade ECP; place of performance: Gatesville, TX; completion by April 2030. (U.S. Department of Defense)
• Scope & fleet impact: Integration of the OR suspension upgrade onto ~200 USMC‑provided M870A2‑S trailers to enable on/off‑road line‑haul of up to 37.5 tons. (U.S. Department of Defense)
• Competition & sourcing: Competitive procurement conducted via SAM.gov with two proposals received; contracting activity: Marine Corps Systems Command (PM MHTV), Quantico, VA. (U.S. Department of Defense)
• Execution footprint: DoD lists work in Gatesville, TX; trade coverage ties the effort to EnTrans’s Kalyn Siebert plant. (U.S. Department of Defense, Bulk Transporter)
• Funding cadence: No funds at base award; obligations occur on delivery orders. Initial DOs include M6785425D0012‑M6785425F0123 (award Apr 17, 2025; approx. $1.244M; FFP; Gatesville, TX). (U.S. Department of Defense, GovTribe)
• Program lineage: Earlier USMC prototype/first‑article work on M870A2‑S suspensions executed by Hendrickson & Growler (production through Sept 19, 2024), informing the current fleet‑wide integration phase. (Hendrickson)
• Parallel Army trailer modernization (industry context): Talbert Manufacturing awarded $155.17M FFP (Feb 5, 2024) for M872A4 34‑ton flatbed semitrailers—underscoring broader DoD recapitalization of heavy/line‑haul trailers. (U.S. Department of Defense)
• Adjacent EnTrans defense work: Within the same week, EnTrans/Heil won a $588,594,137 hybrid IDIQ for the Army’s Tactical Fuel Distribution System (TFDS) (est. completion Mar 21, 2030), with production centered in Athens, TN per company/industry reports. (U.S. Department of Defense, Bulk Transporter, American Journal of Transportation)
• Corporate backdrop (capability & capacity): TerraVest Industries acquired EnTrans on Mar 17, 2025, for $546M plus potential earn‑out—bolstering capital resources, multi‑site manufacturing, and defense credentials across Heil Trailer, Polar Tank Trailer, Kalyn Siebert, and Jarco. (Terravest Industries, Ropes & Gray)
• Communications/positioning: Company statements emphasize mission support, program capacity, and no disruption to commercial customers while executing USMC upgrades and the Army TFDS award in parallel. (Bulk Transporter)

Authoritative Resources on the EnTrans–USMC M870A2 Off‑Road Upgrade

• DoD contract announcement for the M870A2‑OR suspension upgrade — U.S. Department of Defense contracts (Apr. 16, 2025).
• Program office context — Marine Corps Systems Command: PM Medium & Heavy Tactical Vehicles.
• Acquisition briefing (PDF) — PM MHTV Program Overview (May 2025).
• Presolicitation record — SAM.gov: RFI for M870A2‑OR Off‑Road Suspension Upgrade.
• Solicitation posting — PIEE: Solicitation M6785424R0085 (M870A2‑OR ECP).
• Prime contractor capabilities — Heil Trailer: Defense solutions overview.
• Corporate background — EnTrans International: Company overview.
• Ownership update — TerraVest Industries press release on acquiring EnTrans (Mar. 17, 2025).
• Prototype lineage — Hendrickson & Growler: USMC M870A2‑S suspension contract announcement.
• Manufacturing site/program history — Kalyn Siebert: Tactical trailers (M870 series).
• Trade coverage referenced in the article — Bulk Transporter: Heil Trailer secures $49M USMC contract.
• Background on M870A2‑S upgrades — Military Trader: Hendrickson & Growler upgrade M870A2‑S trailers.