American Truck Drivers Honor Christmas Tradition
American Truck Drivers Honor Christmas Tradition
Two truck drivers from Alaska are setting out on a cross-country trip to deliver a special Christmas tree to Washington, D.C.
John Schank and Fred Austin, both from Alaska, will transport this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree from Tongass National Forest near Wrangell, covering a distance of 4,000 miles with 11 scheduled stops along the way to let the public view the tree.
The tree will be transported by Lynden Transport on an 80-foot flatbed truck, which features protective coverings and a plexiglass window at the back for visibility. The journey is expected to take about three weeks.
“My favorite part of this trip is the show-and-tell time, not the driving time,” Austin shared, expressing his excitement about this unique journey. After 50 years with Lynden Transport, he finds it “pretty cool” to be part of transporting the Capitol Christmas Tree.
Schank, who previously transported the tree in 2015, is also looking forward to the experience. Together, they boast approximately 100 years of driving experience, totaling around 10 million miles safely driven.
The trailer carrying the tree is designed to fit the 74-foot tree snugly, and Schank assures that they will handle the valuable cargo with care. Numerous banners on the tree allow Americans to leave messages at various stops, where the lights on the tree will be turned on for spectators.
Each year, a different national forest supplies the “People’s Tree” to celebrate national forests, a tradition that began 54 years ago when a live tree was placed on the Capitol lawn. This year’s tree will stop in states such as Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and more before reaching its destination.
