All About K-Loader Cargo Loaders

The U.S. Air Force is very proud of its beautiful aircraft, showcasing them with demonstration teams for the Hogs, Vipers, Eagles, Raptors, and Lightnings. And why shouldn’t they? Those aircraft are incredible, and the pilots are extremely skilled. 

But another side of the Air Force gets far less press, yet if you look up ADSB Exchange, the odds are good that you will see dozens of these aircraft all over the globe at any given time. These are the airlift assets owned and operated by Air Mobility Command.

The Air Mobility Command is made up of hundreds of cargo and aerial refueling aircraft, including the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster, KC-135 Stratotanker, and of course, the C-130 Hercules, among others. 

The finest cargo aircraft in the world is of no use without equipment to support them, and one of the most common pieces of equipment is the K-loader or “Halverson loader”.

Let’s look at K-loaders, how they work, and why they are so important to the Air Force cargo mission. 

What Is A Single Platform Cargo Loader?

The cargo process is highly technical and requires a dedicated team effort. This goes without saying, but cargo does not load itself. It takes a skilled group of hands to palletize cargo properly. It is arduous, hard work that takes a real eye for detail. 

Once the cargo is palletized and ready to load, a few options exist to get them on the aircraft. One of the most common ways to load cargo on aircraft is with a forklift. We have all seen the jokes online about being forklift certified, and they are admittedly funny. But it is all seriousness; cargo would never move without forklifts. They have been an integral part of the logistics chain in the past, now, and forever. 

Forklifts have a couple of main strengths:

1. They are powerful and have high lifting capacity for their relatively compact dimensions. 
2. They are highly maneuverable, especially in tight spaces. 

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However, the humble forklift has one severe limitation: it can only load one pallet at a time. The driver has to pull up, get the forks to the correct height, and be marshaled into position every single time. While not the end of the world, other methods are much faster. 

K-Loaders Are The Heart Of The Air Force Cargo Mission

The K-Loader, or Halverson loader, is the solution.

Cargo missions rely on speed, especially for air bridge missions where cargo has to flow continuously. A forklift just can’t keep up, especially for large aircraft that can hold dozens of pallets simultaneously. For example, the C-5 Galaxy has 36 cargo positions. Imagine how time-consuming it would be to load and unload 36 pallets, one at a time.

The K-loader is the solution.

Most aerial port squadrons have a handful of assigned K-loaders, which can all be pre-staged to either on-load or offload cargo to or from the jets. Since they are equipped with rollers on the bed assembly, loading and unloading is extremely fast. 

Line up the loaders, pull them into position, handle pallets and boxes, and then line up the next loader. 

How Many Pallets Can K-Loader Load At A Time?

This question depends entirely on the capacity of the loader. Also, when you say ‘Halvorson loader,’ it is used generically along with K-loader. Halvorson is one of the main manufacturers of K-loaders, most widely known for their 3-pallet, 25k loader. 

So, this K-loader, which is undoubtedly one of the most common types, can handle up to three full-size pallets at a time, with a total capacity of 25,000 lbs. 

Larger K-loaders are available, with the Atlas 40k & 50k pallet loaders being widely used, especially for C-5s, C-17s, and cargo Boeing 747s. 

The Atlas loaders are rated for four and five pallets, respectively, with each standard pallet weighing a maximum of 10,000 lbs. So, when loading a C5 Galaxy, the 50K loaders can load a full load of pallets in eight loads instead of the 36 it would take a forklift. 

Also, there are things that a forklift cannot efficiently or effectively handle, but a K-loader can onload and offload quite easily. Take trailers or small pieces of artillery for example. A K-loader can easily load them onto any cargo aircraft, whereas a forklift cannot handle their shape without loading them on a pallet. 

Are K-Loaders Height Adjustable?

The K-loader is a critical and highly-used piece of equipment because it used a gigantic scissor-lift mechanism to adjust the height. Once it has lifted up to the proper height, it is level and the cargo can quickly be loaded or unloaded to the aircraft. This is accomplished with the loading deck's auto leveling, tilt, roll, and side shift functions. The ability to do minute adjustments to the deck saves a lot of time and effort, so the aerial port teams can focus on loading and unloading cargo.  

This is very important due to how aircraft are built. Dedicated cargo aircraft like the C-5, C-17, and C-130 all have ramps for loading and unloading that are low to the ground, so the K-loader stays close to the ground for these. But aircraft like the KC-135, the KC-10, the KC-46,and civilian cargo aircraft like the Boeing 747 and MD-11 all use cargo doors that are pretty high off the ground, so the loaders must be tall.

How Many Different Sizes of K-Loaders Are There?

The Air Force generally uses three different sizes of K-loaders for their aerial port missions, which are the 25k, 40k, and 50k sizes. While there are undoubtedly larger models on the market, the Air Force sticks with a core group of loaders to cut down on additional logistical demands. 

One of the longest-standing goals of the Air Force logistics planners has been to reduce the logistical footprint of weapon systems used across the force. Could there be larger loaders available? Probably. But the current fleet of loaders is sufficient to support the majority of demands of the USAF cargo mission. The cost of adding an additional loader into the mix might not be worth it in the long run. 

Logistics is a huge expense, but it is the backbone of the military. Without logistics, the military stands still. K-loaders a pivotal part of the Air Force logistical strategy, which spills over to all of the other branches, since the AMC exists to support the overall war effort. 

Greenwood Aerospace Is Here For Your GSE Demands

Whether your Air Force organization needs help acquiring new GSE, to include K-loaders, or you need to establish reliable supply chains to support and maintain your existing assets, Greenwood Aerospace is your #1 partner in the process. We have been in this business for several decades and have extensive experience in all aspects of the logistics and procurement process. 

If you are ready to execute your contracts for GSE, give us a call and we will help you find exactly what you are looking for. Or, you can start an online quote to see what we can do for you!

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