JCB is celebrating the production of its 200,000th Loadall telehandler.
First manufactured in 1977, the JCB Loadall “revolutionised” the handling of loads on construction sites and farms, according to the company.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said, “From very small beginnings, the JCB Loadall has become a very important machine for JCB and for the construction and agricultural industries. Revolutionary is often a word that is over-used, but in the case of the Loadall it is a perfect description.
“The way loads are handled on building sites and farms has never been the same since we introduced the Loadall in 1977. The JCB team involved in manufacturing and selling the Loadall is to be congratulated on reaching the production milestone of 200,000 machines.”
62-year-old JCB employee, Richard Jenkinson, has worked for the company for nearly 40 years and was involved in manufacturing the axles of the first Loadalls. He said, “I cannot believe it is 39 years since we built the first Loadall and that we have now manufactured the 200,000th machine. It’s an incredible achievement and I am proud to have been involved since day one.”
The machine has evolved in a number of ways over the years with one major innovation being the introduction of a range of machines that had the engine located on the side rather than in the centre. This enabled the boom to be lowered, improving visibility for operators.
Also, the introduction of the torque lock system in 2001 meant machines could travel quicker and perform better uphill.
While it took JCB nearly 30 years to sell the first 100,000 Loadalls, it has taken less than 10 to reach the milestone of 200,000.
