Truckers to haul US Capitol Christmas Tree from Alaska to DC on annual big-rig journey

Two American motortruck drivers volition embark connected a cross-country travel successful grant of a peculiar Yuletide delivery.

Alaska natives John Schank and Fred Austin volition bring vacation cheer to Washington, D.C., by transporting the yearly Christmas Tree to the U.S. Capitol.

This year’s histrion was selected from Alaska’s National Forests, traveling 4,000 miles from Tongass National Forest adjacent Wrangell, making 11 stops on the way, truthful Americans tin get a accidental to spot the People’s Tree.

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The histrion volition beryllium carried by Lynden Transport successful an 80-foot flatbed truck covered with protective wrapping and a plexiglass model astatine the rear.

The thrust could instrumentality astir 3 weeks to complete.

John Schank, left, and Fred Austin are some Alaska natives. They're driving the Capitol Christmas Tree to Washington this year. (U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree)

"My favourite portion of this travel is the show-and-tell time, not the driving time," Austin told Fox News Digital.

Austin of North Pole, Alaska, has been driving with Lynden Transport for 50 years and says it's "pretty cool" to beryllium transporting the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

Schank said this volition beryllium his 2nd clip transporting the tree.

"I moved it backmost successful 2015. I came retired to Chugiak National Forest adjacent Seward, Alaska, and I'm looking guardant to doing it here," helium told Fox News Digital.

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Between the men, they’ve safely driven for a combined estimation of 100 years stretching astir 10 cardinal miles.

Schank has besides been driving large rigs for 50 years and said the way that helium and Austin are taking is each mapped out.

The Capitol Christmas Tree volition beryllium carried by Lynden Transport, an Anchorage, Alaska-based trucking company. The histrion volition question connected an 80-foot flatbed motortruck covered with protective wrapping and a plexiglass model astatine the rear. (U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree)

"The trailer is 80 feet agelong and the histrion conscionable hardly fits wrong of it … We volition instrumentality attraction of the precious cargo we’ve got, and we volition thrust accordingly," said Schank.

Banners adorn the 74-foot tree, giving Americans a accidental to permission their sanction and a connection with a marker astatine selected stops. 

"You tin really look successful and spot the histrion … and erstwhile we're stopped, they crook the Christmas histrion lights on," said Austin.

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"John and Fred are a dynamic duo of driving experience, leadership, and affirmative energy, which volition marque the cross-country travel memorable," Paul Grimaldi, president of Lynden Transport, said successful a statement.

This year’s histrion was selected from Alaska’s nationalist forests, traveling 4,000 miles from Tongass National Forest adjacent Wrangell. (U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree)

The 54-year contented of the Capitol Christmas Tree began erstwhile Speaker of the House John McCormack, D-Mass., placed a unrecorded Christmas histrion connected the Capitol lawn, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"This histrion lived 3 years earlier succumbing to upwind and basal damage. In 1970, the Capitol Architect asked the U.S. Forest Service to supply a Christmas tree," a quality merchandise said.

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Each twelvemonth a antithetic nationalist wood is selected to supply "the People's Tree" successful an yearly run to observe national forests.

The Capitol Christmas Tree volition marque 11 stops connected the mode to Washington, D.C. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The histrion volition beryllium making stops in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland earlier accomplishment astatine the Capitol’s West Lawn.

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Americans tin way the People’s Tree astatine kenworth.com/tree-tracker/.