Kenworth's T680 with special design will transport 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from Alaska to D.C. Lynden drivers Fred Austin and John Schank will carry the tree on a 4,000-mile journey, tracked by GPS. The tour theme is "Where Nature, People, and Tradition Come Together." Tour stops in various states before the tree lighting ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
Photo courtesy of Kenworth
“Where Nature, People and Tradition Come Together,” is this year’s tour theme and the message is reflected on the special graphic design of the T680 featuring Alaska’s Tongass and Chugach National Forests.
Kenworth is providing a T680, adorned with a newly installed graphics wrap, that will soon transport the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree harvest celebration will begin on Oct. 26 in Wrangell, Alaska, followed by the first Whistlestop tour event in Ketchikan. After the Alaska events, the tree and trailer will be loaded onto an Alaska Marine Lines barge where it will travel to Seattle, Wash. From there, the "People's Tree" will begin a 4,000-mi. journey across the country stopping at parks, plazas, schools, memorials and main streets in a series of community events on its way to Washington, D.C.
"Where Nature, People and Tradition Come Together," is this year's tour theme and the message is reflected on the special graphic design of the T680 featuring Alaska's Tongass and Chugach National Forests.
This year, real-time GPS location tracking of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will be provided by Kenworth's TruckTech+ connected truck technology. Starting Oct. 26, the tree's journey that begins in Alaska and concludes with delivery on Nov. 22 in Washington, D.C., can be tracked via interactive map (Kenworth Tree Tracker 2024 | Kenworth).
Lynden, an Alaska-based company, is the official designated carrier for the 2024 tour. Lynden companies provide transportation and logistics solutions in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and around the world. The company selected drivers Fred Austin and John Schank for the honor of transporting the special tree. Austin and Schank both began working for Lynden in 1975 and have earned numerous prestigious honors and designations for outstanding professionalism and skills. Collectively, they have driven over 10 million accident-free miles for Lynden in Alaska.
This will be Schank's second opportunity to carry the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree as he previously drove in 2015, the last time a tree was harvested from Alaska and transported to Washington, D.C.
The truck pulling this year's tree is a Kenworth T680 equipped with a 76-in. sleeper and the PACCAR Powertrain featuring the PACCAR MX-13 engine rated at 455 hp, PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission and PACCAR DX-40 tandem real axles. The Kenworth T680 features a Diamond VIT interior in slate gray with madrona accents and includes the latest in driver amenities. Both the driver and passenger seats are GT703 leather seats that are fully heated and cooled.
The 76-in. sleeper includes space for a microwave and TV, a factory-installed fridge, and a rotating work table. The T680 also includes the latest in driver assistance systems, including Kenworth's Digital Mirrors, Bendix Fusion Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Stop and Auto Go, and Lane Keeping Assist with Torque Assisted Steering.
"Kenworth is proud to again provide the truck that will transport the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree for the 11th consecutive year," said Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. "Our continuing participation in this celebration that spreads holiday cheer in local communities from coast-to-coast is a program we look forward to every year."
Below is the current 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour public schedule:
- Oct. 30: Alaska Marine Highway Terminal, Ketchikan, Alaska
- Nov. 6: Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park, Renton, Wash.
- Nov. 8: Baker County Fairgrounds & Event Center, Baker City, Ore.
- Nov. 9: The Pocatello Veterans Day Parade, Pocatello, Idaho
- Nov. 9: Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation's Wheeler Historic Farm, Murray, Utah
- Nov. 10: Cabela's, Grand Junction, Colo.
- Nov. 11: The Ranch Events Complex, Loveland, Colo.
- Nov. 13: Gene Leahy Mall at The Landing at The RiverFront, Omaha, Neb.
- Nov. 16: Parkview Field, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- Nov. 17: Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, Ohio
- Nov. 19: The Maryland Theater, Hagerstown, Md.
- Nov. 21: Andrews Theater, Joint Base Andrews, Md. (*base access only)
- Nov. 22: Delivery to West Lawn, U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C.
In early December, a tree lighting ceremony will take place, hosted by the Architect of the Capitol in coordination with the U.S. Speaker of the House.
For more information, visit www.uscapitolchristmastree.com.
This story also appears on Truck and Trailer Guide.
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