Implement carriers are commercial vehicles that are mainly used in agriculture. As a modified form of the classic tractor, implements for agricultural tasks can be attached to the front, rear or intermediate axle. Variations and successors of this vehicle category are system implement carriers, in which the attachment space on the intermediate axle is omitted, as well as system tractors, which have been developed since the end of the 20th century.
In special vehicle construction, vehicles for the military were also occasionally referred to as equipment carriers. These were used to carry weapon systems. A classic example of this is the Faun GT 8/15, which was used as a carrier vehicle for light field howitzers. The model could be assigned to the first generation of Bundeswehr wheeled vehicles and was built from 1959 to 1961. The artillery gun was pulled onto the equipment carrier by means of a hydraulically operated bracket and transported from there to the new position. However, the concept proved to be too time-consuming, especially when changing positions. As the model was also considered technically vulnerable with a high failure rate, it was decommissioned after just under a decade of service.
Commercial vehicles for fire-fighting or evacuation purposes from the equipment carrier segment are also used in the military sector. Authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS) such as the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) use the term equipment carrier for various vehicle types. These special-purpose vehicles, which are crew vans or trucks, transport personnel, equipment and work and construction materials. They can therefore fulfill a similar function to command vehicles (ELW) 1 and 2 in the fire department, but can also transport smaller vehicles themselves.
A third definition of the equipment carrier relates to the interior equipment of containers or special vehicles. In this case, the term "equipment carrier" refers to a structure that can accommodate various pieces of equipment.
