“Clearly, logistics is the hard part of fighting a war.”
– LtGen E. T. Cook, U.S. Marine Corps, November 1990
The Army’s ability to sustain dispersed forces in contested environments will be a decisive factor in future conflict. As adversaries develop increasingly sophisticated antiaccess/area denial capabilities and exploit the ambiguity of irregular warfare, the Army’s traditional motor transport model — centered on organic 88M Motor Transport Operator capacity and highly visible military convoys — faces growing operational, doctrinal, and ethical challenges. This article argues for a comprehensive modernization effort focused on three mutually reinforcing initiatives: establishing commercial driver’s license (CDL) certification as a baseline requirement for all 88M Soldiers; expanding combatant commands’ use of locally procured commercial line haul (CLH) assets; and reevaluating the definition and visibility of military combatants as sustainment operations increasingly blend into civilian logistics networks. These reforms will strengthen readiness, enhance survivability, and ensure the Army’s sustainment enterprise remains effective and legitimate in the face of evolving threats.
The Army’s sustainment enterprise is entering a period of profound transformation. The operational environment described in multi-domain operations (MDO) and large-scale combat operations (LSCO) doctrine is characterized by contested logistics, dispersed formations, and adversaries who understand that disrupting supply lines can halt maneuver forces without engaging them directly. The Army’s ability to sustain combat power across vast distances and under persistent threat determines whether commanders can maintain operational tempo and exploit opportunities on the battlefield.
Yet the Army’s current motor transport model was built for a different era — one in which large, clearly marked military convoys moved along predictable routes with relatively low risk. Today’s operational environment is far less forgiving. Adversaries can detect, target, and disrupt logistics nodes with unprecedented speed. They exploit civilian populations, blend into commercial networks, and deliberately target sustainment formations as high-value assets.
To meet these challenges, the Army must modernize how it trains, equips, and employs its motor transport forces. Three issues stand out as both urgent and interdependent: the need to professionalize 88M Soldiers through CDL certification; the expansion of locally procured CLH capabilities to increase capacity, flexibility, and survivability; and a reassessment of how sustainment forces are identified and protected in irregular warfare environments where the distinction between combatant and civilian is increasingly blurred.
This article examines each of these issues in depth, arguing that they represent not isolated reforms but components of a broader transformation in how the Army conceptualizes and executes motor transport operations in contested logistics environments.
The Changing Character of War and Its Impact on Logistics
The character of war is evolving in ways that place unprecedented demands on sustainment forces. Adversaries now possess long-range precision fires, cyber capabilities, electronic warfare systems, and unmanned aerial platforms that can detect, track, and target logistics formations across the breadth and depth of the battlefield. The traditional assumption of secure rear areas no longer holds. Sustainment units must operate under persistent threat, often without the protection of maneuver forces.
Field Manual 4-0, Sustainment Operations, emphasizes that logistics must be continuous, responsive, and survivable. In contested environments, survivability becomes the decisive factor. The Army cannot assume that large, easily identifiable convoys will be able to move freely. Instead, sustainment operations must be agile, distributed, and capable of blending into the broader logistics ecosystem.
The Limits of the Current Motor Transport Model
The Army’s motor transport model relies heavily on organic 88M capacity and military-specific vehicle platforms. While effective in permissive environments, this model struggles to meet the demands of LSCO and MDO. Several limitations stand out:
- Insufficient organic capacity to support large-scale operations.
- Inconsistent training and licensing standards across units.
- High visibility of military convoys, increasing vulnerability.
- Limited interoperability with commercial and coalition partners.
- A doctrinal gap regarding the blending of military and civilian logistics networks.
These limitations create operational risk and reduce the Army’s ability to sustain combat power in contested environments.
The Need for a Multi-Layered Modernization Approach
Modernizing motor transport operations requires a multilayered approach that addresses training, capacity, survivability, and legal/ethical considerations. CDL certification, CLH integration, and combatant distinction are not isolated issues; they are interdependent components of a broader transformation in how the Army conceptualizes sustainment in contested environments.
Professionalizing the 88M: CDL Certification as a Baseline Standard
The Army’s internal licensing system for 88Ms has served the force well for decades, but it no longer aligns with the realities of modern logistics. Civilian commercial drivers operate under rigorous national standards that emphasize safety, vehicle mastery, and regulatory compliance. By contrast, military licensing varies by unit, installation, and instructor, creating inconsistencies in training quality and limiting interoperability with commercial partners.
This gap has operational consequences. As the Army increasingly relies on commercial assets — both in the U.S. and in overseas theaters — interoperability between military and civilian drivers becomes essential. CDL certification provides a common language, a shared standard, and a baseline of professionalism that enhances trust and coordination.
Alignment with Industry Standards
Civilian logistics is governed by federal and state regulations that ensure drivers are trained to a consistent standard. CDL certification requires mastery of vehicle inspection procedures, air brake systems, hazardous materials handling, load securement, defensive driving techniques, and regulatory compliance. These skills directly translate to military operations. Aligning 88M training with CDL standards ensures that Army drivers meet or exceed industry expectations.
Enhancing Safety and Reducing Liability
Accidents involving military vehicles remain a persistent challenge. CDL certification would significantly reduce risk by ensuring that all 88Ms receive standardized, nationally recognized training in vehicle handling, safety procedures, and regulatory compliance. This is not merely a matter of administrative alignment; it is a matter of protecting Soldiers and reducing preventable mishaps.
Expanding Operational Flexibility
CDL-certified 88Ms would be able to operate commercial platforms without additional waivers or training, giving commanders greater flexibility in how they employ transportation assets. In contested environments where military vehicles may be targeted, the ability to shift seamlessly between military and commercial platforms becomes a critical advantage.
Supporting Interoperability with Joint, Coalition, and Commercial Partners
Joint and coalition operations increasingly rely on commercial logistics networks. CDL certification enhances interoperability by ensuring that Army drivers can operate within these networks without additional training or certification. This is particularly important in theaters where host nation logistics systems are heavily commercialized.
A Strategic Investment in Readiness
CDL certification is more than a credential. It is a strategic investment in the professionalism, safety, and interoperability of the Army’s motor transport force. It aligns the Army with industry best practices, enhances operational flexibility, and strengthens the credibility of sustainment forces operating alongside commercial partners.
Expanding the Use of Locally Procured CLH
The Army’s organic linehaul capacity is insufficient to meet the demands of LSCO. Sustainment brigades and transportation battalions are already stretched thin in peacetime. In a major conflict, the gap between requirements and available assets would widen dramatically.
Combatant commands need scalable, pre-crisis access to commercial transportation assets that can provide immediate surge capacity. Locally procured CLH offers a solution that is both practical and strategically advantageous.
Leveraging Local Expertise and Infrastructure
Commercial carriers possess deep knowledge of regional terrain, infrastructure, and traffic patterns. They operate fleets optimized for local conditions and maintain networks that can adapt quickly to changing requirements. By leveraging these capabilities, the Army can enhance its responsiveness and reduce the strain on military fleets.
Enhancing Survivability Through Civilian Patterning
In contested environments, visibility is vulnerability. Military convoys — large, uniform, and easily identifiable — present high-value targets for adversaries equipped with drones, sensors, and long-range fires. CLH assets, by contrast, blend naturally into civilian traffic patterns, reducing their signature and increasing survivability.
This blending is not about deception; it is about reducing unnecessary exposure. When commercial assets are already part of the local logistics ecosystem, their movement does not draw the same attention as military convoys.
Reducing Wear on Military Fleets
Every mile driven by a commercial carrier is a mile not driven by a military vehicle. This reduces maintenance demands, extends fleet life, and allows commanders to allocate organic assets to missions where military drivers and vehicles are essential.
Supporting Distributed Operations
As the Army embraces distributed operations, CLH becomes a critical enabler of operational reach. It provides the capacity, flexibility, and adaptability needed to sustain forces across dispersed and contested environments.
Challenges and Considerations
Expanding CLH use requires addressing several challenges:
- Contracting authorities and funding mechanisms.
- Vendor vetting and security considerations.
- Integration with movement control teams.
- Command and control of commercial assets.
- Legal and regulatory compliance.
These challenges are manageable but require deliberate planning and doctrinal clarity.
The Blurring of Military and Civilian Logistics
Irregular warfare challenges traditional distinctions between combatants and civilians. Adversaries routinely blend into civilian populations, exploit commercial networks, and target logistics formations as a means of undermining operational momentum. As the Army integrates commercial assets into its sustainment operations, the visibility and identification of military forces become more complex.
The Vulnerability of Visible Military Convoys
Highly visible military convoys are easy to detect, track, and target. In environments where adversaries possess long-range fires, drones, and electronic warfare capabilities, this visibility becomes a liability. Sustainment forces — traditionally considered rear-area units — now operate in environments where the rear area no longer exists.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
As sustainment operations blend into civilian logistics networks, the Army must ensure compliance with international law and ethical norms. The use of commercial assets in support of military operations raises questions about combatant status, civilian protection, and the responsibilities of commanders.
These issues require deliberate guidance, updated doctrine, and a comprehensive legal review to ensure that sustainment forces remain protected and that the Army maintains its commitment to lawful and ethical conduct.
Hybrid Logistics Visibility
The Army must develop doctrine that clarifies when and how sustainment forces can blend into civilian patterns of movement while maintaining compliance with international law. This doctrine must address signature management, convoy composition, and the use of commercial assets in contested environments.
Strategic-Level Recommendations
- Establish CDL certification as a baseline requirement for all 88Ms.
- Expand authorities and funding for pre-crisis CLH procurement.
- Develop joint doctrine for hybrid logistics visibility.
- Commission a legal and ethical review of combatant distinction.
- Integrate CLH- and CDL-certified 88Ms into major exercises.
Operational-Level Recommendations
- Incorporate CDL certification into unit training pipelines.
- Establish habitual relationships with local commercial carriers.
- Train sustainers on hybrid convoy operations and signature management.
- Conduct leader development on legal and ethical considerations.
- Integrate CLH assets into brigade-level exercises.
Conclusion
The Army’s ability to sustain combat power in contested environments will define success in future conflicts. CDL certification strengthens the professionalism and interoperability of 88Ms. Locally procured CLH expands capacity, adaptability, and survivability. And a thoughtful reassessment of combatant distinction ensures that sustainment forces remain protected and legally grounded as they operate in increasingly complex environments.
Modernizing Army motor transport operations is not simply an administrative improvement — it is an operational necessity. The Army must act now to ensure its sustainment enterprise remains effective, resilient, and legitimate in the face of evolving threats.
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MAJ Justin Griffith currently serves as the 3rd Infantry Division’s division transportation officer. He is a logistics officer who commissioned in 2013 and began his career in the Army Reserves. He transitioned to active duty in 2017 following a deployment to Afghanistan. He has served in multiple staff roles at the battalion and brigade levels, where he planned support for major training rotations and operational mobilizations. He recently completed company command during which he deployed his unit for Operation European Assure, Deter, and Reenforce, and served as career manager for the Logistics Branch at U.S. Army Human Resources Command. He completed resident Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in June 2025. In his career he has also completed the Theater Sustainment Planners Course, Joint Planners Course, Aerial Delivery and Materiel Officer Course, and Operational Contract Support Course.
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This article was published with the winter 2026 issue of Army Sustainment.
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The Current issue of Army Sustainment in pdf format
Current Army Sustainment Online Articles
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