RENTON, Wash. — The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, pulled by a Kenworth T680, recently made its first stop in the Lower 48 states with a community event at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park in Renton.
A large crowd gathered to welcome the 74-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.
“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 Bryan Sitko, Kenworth assistant general manager for operations.
According to a Kenworth press release, 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.
“Joining the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree at the Renton whistlestop event was Kenworth’s SuperTruck 2 demonstrator vehicle,” the company said. “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.
The Kenworth T680 pulling the tree has a special graphic design created in honor of Alaska’s National Forests and 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 real axles. It 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, according to the release. 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.
To learn more about how Kenworth’s SuperTruck 2 improved fuel efficiency, increased payload capacity, achieved record engine efficiency and resulted in the identification of potential new Class 8 vehicle design innovation and technologies, visit Kenworth World’s Best Magazine.
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.
