CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A Kenworth T680, assembled by employees at Kenworth’s manufacturing plant in Chillicothe, Ohio recently returned with special cargo – the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, nicknamed “Spruce Wayne.”
“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.”
According to a company press release, the T680, operated by Lynden drivers John Schank and Fred Austin, stopped at the Kenworth Chillicothe plant for a private event on Nov. 17 so Kenworth employees could see “The People’s Tree” before it completes its journey to Washington, D.C. This year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, a 74-foot Sitka Spruce, was harvested from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska last month. 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.”
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 Nov. 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.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
