Half-tracks, being a hybrid design, combine advantages and disadvantages of wheeled and tracked vehicles. In World War II, a vehicle with front wheels for steering simplified training for drivers in the huge conscript armies of the time. The tracks provided better traction and a degree of robustness.

The disadvantages also apply though - the relative vulnerability of the front tires and the much higher operating costs of a tracked vehicle. Tracks are inevitably higher friction than tires, resulting in higher fuel costs, they wear out a lot faster and require more maintenance.

During WWII a number of countries obviously saw the advantages outweighing the disadvantages and so a very large number of half tracks were built.

Immediately post WWII the following factors were in play:

• Every country that built half-track vehicles for WWII moved to a more professional / standing army model (to varying extents and on varying timetables), meaning the training advantage of a half track became less relevant over time
• Throughout the 1950's, there was a large a surplus of WWII half tracks to make use of, meaning there was little impetus for new design or production
• From the 1950's onward 6x6 wheeled vehicles (later 8x8) were being developed, which carry lower maintenance costs than a half-track while still providing the increased traction

These trends continued over time. In military vehicle fleets from the 1950's onward, the roles half-tracks used to fill have been serviced by either a fully tracked vehicle or a solely-wheeled vehicle because doing so de-couples the disadvantages of each design.