The JCB 3CX backhoe loader has completed a 26-day, 3,185-mile coast-to-coast fundraising “road trip”, earning the company a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The road trip smashed the existing record for The Longest Journey in an Excavator, which stood at 2,485 miles.
The JCB 3CX Backhoe makes its way across the country
Neil Smith, a 35-year veteran with JCB, and the Backhoe Across America crew began their coast-to-coast trek from the beach at Tybee Island, GA, on Friday, March 26, 2010. Carrying a bucket of sand from the east coast, the backhoe traveled more than 3,100 miles across the U.S., before dropping the sand in Santa Monica California on April 20th. Along the way, the crew made fundraising “pit stops” at JCB dealerships in eight cities to help raise awareness and funds for the Haiti Relief and Development effort through the Red Cross.
The trip was made in the newly updated 2010 JCB 3CX backhoe, putting the machine’s endurance to the ultimate test. The entire 3,185 mile trip was completed with out any unscheduled service stops. The new EcoRoad feature gave the team 30% fuel savings for the duration of the journey.
“The JCB backhoe performed brilliantly! We didn’t have one problem from start to finish,” says Smith.
Driver Neil Smith
Although the trip was completed on April 20th on the beach at the Santa Monica Pier, the journey is far from over. The campaign will run through July as JCB aims to raise $1 million for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Follow the journey and watch daily video logs to see what Neil and his motley crew encountered on the road, at www.JCBforHaiti.com.
Fast Facts:
- 3,185 miles traveled
- 119.5 hours in cab
- 27 mph avg speed
- 0 tire changes
- 2 routine service checks
- 30% fuel savings with new EcoRoad system
