The Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC) - also doing business as Hodges Transportation Inc., -- is a long time etstablished, family owned, engineering firm providing test and evaluation, research and development services for all aspects of the automotive industry in all its variations. NATC utilizes land and water areas totaling approximately one million acres. With a branch office in Quantico, VA to provide services at close proximity to the U.S. DOD, DOT and other Federal Government agencies, NATC also operates a Winter Test Facility at West Yellowstone, MT. Primarily dedicated to ground vehicle systems, NATC conducts vehicle component evaluations and certifications, and weapons systems and ammunition tests. Since its founding in 1957, NATC has continuously served commercial, federal and defense organizations in the US and overseas. Over years of development of wheeled and tracked vehicle systems, NATC has logged more than 40 million vehicle test miles and evaluated more than 1,000 different vehicle systems from motorcycles to Class 8 trucks to earth moving and agricultural equipment. The firm offers a vehicle dynamic modeling and simulation, control systems modeling and integration, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), fatigue life prediction and life cycle cost analysis capabilities. NATC uses these tools for the design, development and fabrication of prototype vehicles including light tactical vehicles, medium and heavy logistics vehicles and combat vehicles. On-site resources include two full size vehicle environmental test chambers and two component-size chambers for fungus and corrosion tests; a railroad transportability test area; skid pads for vehicle dynamics evaluations; a large tilt table; established slopes, fording pits, and obstacles; fabrication and repair facilities including engine and electronic system rebuild; approximately 3,000 miles of test courses; and on-site ranges for direct-fire weapons systems.
