In early November, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, pulled by a Kenworth T680, made its first stop in the Lower 48 states with a community event at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park in Renton, Wash. A large crowd gathered to welcome the 80-foot Sitka spruce, harvested from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, and adorned with 10,000 ornaments made by students and community organizations in Alaska. The tree was celebrated in Wrangell and Ketchikan before arriving in Seattle by barge on a 900-mile sea voyage.
The City of Renton organized the only Washington state tour stop celebration that included an opportunity to see the wrapped-up tree – officially named “Spruce Wayne” – and enjoy food, music, and a variety of holiday festivities. Event speakers included Brandon Raille, U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lead and public affairs officer for the Chugach National Forest, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone, Congressman Adam Smith and Bryan Sitko, Kenworth assistant general manager for operations.
“Kenworth is headquartered in Washington state, employing more than 1,250 people locally, so this was a special opportunity for us to participate in this fantastic program that signifies unity and joy, and spreads holiday cheer across the country,” said Sitko.
Joining the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree at the Renton whistlestop event was Kenworth’s SuperTruck 2 demonstrator vehicle. This was the first time the futuristic looking and one-of-a-kind truck built in Washington state was shown locally. Developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), SuperTruck 2 was part of a program designed to challenge truck makers to advance truck performance. Earlier this year, SuperTruck 2 surpassed expectations by achieving 136% freight efficiency improvement and the development team was recognized with a prestigious DOE Vehicle Technology Office Team Award.
Prior to the Puget Sound community event, the truck and trailer paid a special visit to employees at PACCAR’s nearby Renton campus where Kenworth has a truck manufacturing plant. Employees had an opportunity to see the wrapped-up tree, sign the trailer banner and wish the team accompanying the tree well on the 3,000-mile journey to Washington D.C.
Less than two weeks later, the T680 – operated by Lynden drivers John Schank and Fred Austin – stopped at to the Kenworth manufacturing plant in Chillicothe, Ohio so employees could see “The People’s Tree.” The T680 was assembled at the Chillicothe plant.
Since its harvest, Schank and Austin have transported the tree to communities across the country for special events as part of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour. This year’s tour theme is “Where Nature, People, and Tradition Come Together.”
“Our employees were thrilled to again welcome the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree for a stop in Chillicothe,” said Doug VanZuiden, Kenworth Chillicothe plant manager. “It was extra special to host the Lynden drivers and the entire U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree project team for a tour of the manufacturing plant where the T680 hauling this year’s tree was built.”
Lynden is this year’s official designated tour carrier and selected Schank and Austin to transport the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Kenworth supplied the T680, which is equipped with a 76-inch sleeper and the PACCAR Powertrain featuring the PACCAR MX-13 engine rated at 455 horsepower, PACCAR TX-12 automated transmission and PACCAR DX-40 tandem rear axles. The Kenworth T680 has a special graphic design created in honor of Alaska’s National Forests and is equipped with real-time GPS location tracking of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree using Kenworth’s TruckTech+ connected truck technology. The tree can be tracked via interactive map (Kenworth Tree Tracker 2024 | Kenworth).
This year marks the 11th consecutive year that a Kenworth truck will deliver the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. The tree will be delivered on November 22 to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. The annual tree lighting ceremony will be held in early December.
