Under the special orders the standardization board was charged with selecting and approving the proper types for the use of the Army, the board being composed of representatives from each of the various corps. In this manner the various ideas of the different corps were coordinated through the discussion of the board, and the final result was that the following chassis were standardized for use:
Passenger cars: light, Ford and Dodge; heavy, Cadillac.
Ambulances: G. M. C. and Ford (with longer wheel base).
Trucks: one-half-ton to ¾-ton, Ford and Dodge (same chassis as in passenger cars); ¾-ton to 1-ton, G. M. C. Model 16; 1½-ton to 2-ton, White; 3-ton to 5-ton, Quartermaster standardized "B."
The 4-wheel-drive TT type, called the "Militor," was also standardized, this being a special truck tractor designed by the Ordnance Department. These latter vehicles were never furnished to the Army, as production had not progressed far enough at the time of the signing of the armistice.
On this limited number of chassis could be mounted any bodies required by the Army. For instance the White ¾-ton to 1-ton chassis could be used as a passenger car when equipped with pneumatic tires and with the ordnance staff observation or reconnaissance body. The Ford and Dodge chassis could be used either with the regular passenger-car bodies or with light-delivery or light-repair bodies. The G. M. C. chassis could be used either as an ambulance or could be equipped with a light-cargo body, thus providing a ¾-ton to 1-ton truck. The standardized "B" chassis could be used with special machine-shop bodies, special Signal Corps apparatus, or the regular "B" cargo body, etc. The work of the board was painstaking and thorough, and decisions were rendered only after experts had been consulted and exhaustive tests made.
While the board was standardizing on the types of vehicles to be purchased in the future for the Army, the Motor Transport Service was being formed, and by June 1, 1918, the consolidation of procurement, inspection, production, maintenance, etc., was well underway.
The needs of the American Expeditionary Forces for motor equipment were increasing by leaps and bounds, and the Motor Transport Service found that it was impossible to purchase the trucks standardized by the motorization board in sufficient quantities to meet the overseas requirements. It was therefore decided, after the consent of the board had been received, that certain other types of vehicles should be procured to fill the requirements of the Army until such time as production of the standardized truck could be increased. Therefore, the makes of trucks which were already in use in large quantities with the American Expeditionary Forces were temporarily made standard to meet the immediate needs of the Army. It being extremely difficult to purchase sufficient trucks, even of these additional makes, to meet the needs overseas, it was decided that still other makes of trucks would be procured for use in the United States, thus allowing all the makes standardized for overseas use to be shipped to France.
The Motor Transport Service operated from May 15 until August 15, 1918, when the Motor Transport Corps was organized under General Order No. 75. This order created a separate corps under the operations division of the General Staff for the operation as well as the procurement of all passenger and cargo carrying motor equipment for the Army. A few weeks later, however, Supply Circular 87, P., S. & T., was issued, placing the procurement of the above under the Director of Purchase, Storage and Traffic (Motors and Vehicles Division), but the operation and maintenance of vehicles was left with the Motor Transport Corps. From September on these organizations remained unchanged up to and after the signing of the armistice.
The table appended shows the status of the procurement and production of motor-vehicle orders as of November 1, 1918, 11 days prior to the signing of the armistice. It will be noted that there had been ordered for delivery before July 1, 1919, a total of 185,000 trucks, 23,053 ambulances, and 38,462 passenger cars.