TRAM: The Marines Want (Another) Deere
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The John Deere Construction and Forrestry Corp. won a $40 million firm-fixed-price delivery order #0004 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5010) for the Tractor, Rubber Tired, Articulated Steering, Multipurpose Vehicles (TRAM) and training services. The TRAM is a modified Deere 624J wheel loader, sized to operate as four-in-one, multi-purpose bucket loader with a minimum capacity of 2.5 cubic yards, or as a forklift with 72-inch forks and a minimum lift of 10,000 pounds at 48-inch load center. It has a number of modifications including additional armored protection on the cab, and is used for combat engineering – an under-appreciated but vital discipline in the current security environment.
TRAMs are new – sort of…
In the late 1980s, John Deere was awarded a contract to build an original TRAM unit for the Marine Corps as the first of its kind. These units later were updated by John Deere and have been used extensively in the increased U.S. military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan. The new contracts involve the replacement units for these original machines. A $47 million December 2006 contract covered 300 vehicles, with options that could extend its value to $245 million.
Work will be performed in Moline, IL, and is expected to be complete by August 2008. The base contract was competitively procured through full and open competition using the Navy Electronic Commerce On-Line and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with 5 offers received by the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA.
