The 2009 transcontinental motor convoy will retrace the route of the first major motorized expedition across the United States. Traveling from coast to coast in 1919, the original convoy set out to examine the feasibility of rapidly moving troops and equipment across the country as well as showcasing the military's use of some of the latest motorized technology. Following the, at the time, newly created Lincoln Highway, the convoy set a world record traveling 3,251 miles in only 62 days at an average speed of six miles per hour. Although the speed seems slow compared to today’s modern vehicles, this trip planted the seeds of what would become our modern interstate highway system.
Follow the Convoy's Route
Featured Stories
Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 8, 2009
"First gear - let's move out!" Terry yelled for the last time this morning. Today is the final day of the 2009 MVPA Convoy. MORE about Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 8, 2009
Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 7, 2009
We're determined. Today we started out strong. Harry decided that the car was just going to work and that's all there is to it. And sure enough, we had no problems in the morning. The car pulled all the big hills and even stopped when I asked it to... MORE about Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 7, 2009
Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 6, 2009
About 20 miles into today's drive, I started having trouble. The road from Fallon, Nev., to Lake Tahoe, Calif., has three major hills. Going over the first, the car coughed and puttered as if it were running out of gas. The second hill proved to be... MORE about Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 6, 2009
Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 5, 2009
Today was set aside to work on the vehicles. I did some routine maintenance in the morning when it was cool. I cleaned and adjusted the brakes, opened up the transmission and mixed up some new gear oil. Then I decided to try something new. MORE about Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 5, 2009
Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 4, 2009
We were invited to participate in the Fallon, Nev., Fourth of July Parade! So we cleaned our vehicles up as best we could, got some of the mud off, rode into town, and lined up for the parade. For a small town, the Fallon Fourth of July Parade is... MORE about Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 4, 2009
Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 3, 2009
Today we travelled the farthest distance we will go in a single day - 263 miles. But it ended up being much easier than the day before, because the entire route was paved roads and we had good weather. MORE about Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 3, 2009