How Is The Presidential Limo Transported? (And No, Air Force One Doesn't Carry It)

The president of the United States takes Air Force One when he needs to fly across the U.S or internationally. For parades and shorter trips, the president rides in a Chevy Kodiak made to look like a Cadillac XT6limousine. This limo is affectionately referred to as "The Beast," and is "the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world" according the Secret Service. When the president needs to travel by air across the U.S. or to another country, the United States Air Force transports the limo along with some of its decoys — there are at least two in existence — ahead of the president's arrival.

Before the Secret Service started using the Air Force's planes like the C-5M Super Galaxy to transport the motorcade, it would simply drive vehicles to their various destinations. However, the wear and tear that accrued was a problem, so the Secret Service started using railroad horse cars to transport the Presidential motorcade in 1944. These cars could fit four vehicles and had plenty of room for spare tires and other equipment. To get the presidential motorcade overseas, military transport ships were used.

The Air Force didn't take on this task until the mid '60s, and uses some of the world's most powerful military transport planes to move the presidential limo long distances. Secret Service arrives for any visit a week before the president, allowing the agency plenty of time to prepare safety protocols. They ensure planned routes are safe for the president and his limo to traverse.

The Secret Service has to prepare for any possible scenario when it comes to the chief executive, and the agency has plans within plans to ensure the president's safety. For example, Secret Service agents prefer for a motorcade ride to last no longer than 30 minutes. If the drive is going to exceed that timeframe, the president is urged to take Marine One — his helicopter — or Air Force One. For those times the president travels long distances, he doesn't go without his limousine, and the Air Force transports much more than the president's car.

The $1.5 million bulletproof presidential limo seats up to seven passengers, but that's not enough to cover every facet of the Secret Service's mission. The exact makeup of the motorcade varies from outing to outing, depending on mission needs and assets available. It typically consists of a route car, pilot car, sweepers, a lead car, and the presidential limo and its decoys. Each vehicle has a different mission while en route to the president's destination, and that's a lot of equipment to move.

Sometimes the president's travel arrangements require multiple heavy transports from the USAF. The C-17 Globemaster III has a cargo hold that's 88 feet long and 18 feet wide and can carry more than 170,000 pounds. There's even more space in a C-5M Super Galaxy, the largest jet in the U.S. military, on the occasions the Secret Service needs it. Its cargo compartment is 19 feet wide and 143 feet long and can carry more than 281,000 pounds. Needless to say, it's not cheap or easy to move the president's motorcade across the world.