truck driver appreciation

With the help of many transportation workers, the Capitol Christmas Tree, an 84-foot white fir, has arrived at the U.S. Capitol Building.

This year’s giant tree made its way across the country in late October, beginning in the Mad River Ranger District of the Six Rivers National Forest in California. Then, System Transport began trucking the tree across the United States as the official designated carrier for the Capitol Christmas Tree.

The 84-foot tree is one of the largest firs ever chosen for the event and was transported by a Next Generation Kenworth Truck Co. T680. This is the eighth year in a row a Kenworth big rig has hauled the capitol’s special tree.

“It’s been quite an honor for us to be a part of this,” said Kenworth’s director of marketing, Genevieve Bekkerus. “It’s something that we definitely look forward to every year.”

Scheduling and preparation for this tree-hauling typically begins about a year before the start of its trek, and a new location from which a tree is selected is chosen every year. The Capitol Christmas Tree tradition has lasted for 51 years now as a collaboration between the United States Forest Service and its partners. Of course, the tree has become affectionately known as the “People’s Tree.”

“This project would not be possible without partners and without partnerships,” said Choose Outdoors director of communications and sponsorships, Jodi Massey. “It’s a Forest Service project, but really, truly where the magic happens is [in] partnerships, and in particular, [with] those in the trucking industry that help us bring this project to life every year.” Choose Outdoors works closely with the Forest Service and its partnership initiatives.

Two teams stepped up to the plate to get this tree to Washington, and System Transport made sure six different drivers were available to handle each necessary segment of the journey. One such driver included Jeremy Bellinger, who has driven 2.5 million miles with System Transport over the last 21 years. When he heard his company would be hauling the tree, he called his supervisor right away to get involved.

Still, transporting this holiday cheer is a whole different ball game for most truckers, and this particular trip included 25 separate stops for the people within both rural regions and at large events to catch a glimpse of the tree–especially around the state of California where the tree originated.

“A lot of [the areas we stopped in] were small communities,” said one of the Capitol Tree’s drivers, Bill Brunk. “It was really cool to see the small communities come out–they were really excited about the tree.”

One particular stop for the giant tree was in Chillicothe, Ohio, the home of the Kenworth plant where the tree-hauling truck was manufactured.

“The folks there, at the Chillicothe plant, were really, really impressed with the event,” said Bekkerus. “They were really happy to see their project on the road. There’s so much passion and so much pride that goes into every build.”

An especially heartwarming stop for the tree was at the CoxHealth Dee Ann White Women and Children’s Hospital, added System Transport’s Bellinger. 

“[At] the children’s hospital in Springfield, Missouri, we backed up in front of the hospital and the kids were coming out to the windows,” he recalled. “They were happy to see the truck.”

Each year’s Capitol Christmas Tree has a specific theme–this year’s is “Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree,” in reference to the Six Rivers National Forest from which the tree was chosen. The tree’s public display also includes a banner for visitors to sign their names as they learn about the tree’s trip across the U.S.

“We brought a small piece of a California national forest that’s famous for its redwoods, famous for its sequoias,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesperson, Samantha Reho. “And we brought it to each community that we went to.”

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be lit at a ceremony on the building’s West Lawn tomorrow, December 1st.

As for the truckers who worked those long hours to make sure the tree reached its final destination?

“They’re kind of our Santas,” said Reho.

“Truck drivers are the lifeblood of our economy,” said U.S. Department of Transportation undersecretary of transportation for policy, Carlos Monje. “More than 3.5 million professional truck drivers haul 70% of the country’s freight.”

Monje’s praise comes as the Department of Transportation celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which took place last between September 12th and 18th. The department also held an appreciation event at its headquarters, and many DOT officials noted truck drivers’ key role in keeping the United States’ economy healthy–especially during the pandemic era.

These truckers have also been vital in keeping highways as safe as possible during the movement of freight that has been in particularly high demand over the last year and a half.

“The essential nature of the work that truck drivers do every day, often behind the scenes, is crucial to the nation’s economy, public health, and roadway safety,” Monje added.

Deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Meera Joshi, also expressed her gratitude for truck drivers’ efforts in recent months.

“As we become more and more reliant on e-commerce, and through pandemic and climate crises, [truckers’] critical role is even more evident,” Joshi said. “Truck drivers, with their broad highway presence, set the tone for highway driving.”

When truckers are as safe as possible, so are our roadways, she added.

“Careful, professional truck drivers [who are] attentive to driving are saving lives every day,” she said.

American Trucking Associations also made sure to urge folks to thank a trucker during the dedicated week for truck appreciation, as well.

“Happy [National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 2021]!” ATA exclaimed in a Tweet. “A special thank you from Dana Incorporated and ACT1 Trucking, National Driver Appreciation Week 2021’s premier sponsor. There is no better time to thank the highway heroes that help keep our highways safe while moving America’s essential goods!”

ATA’s President, Chris Spear, also spoke out in regards to the appreciation efforts aiming to call attention to truckers’ prominent roles within our country’s economy and communities.

“This nation owes a tremendous amount to the men and women who drive our trucks,” Spear said. “In times of crisis, they are among the first to respond. And when others stay home, we hit the road delivering the things this country needs to keep moving.”

Spear also noted that although Appreciation Week isn’t necessarily all the thanks that truckers who have been on our frontlines during the pandemic deserve, the industry is happy to show its gratitude as much as it can.

“National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is just a small gesture acknowledging the efforts of drivers like Henry and April, and we’re glad that DOT has taken time to recognize them and all of the 3.7 million professional drivers,” said Spear.

One of the drivers Spear mentioned is April Coolidge, an America’s Road Team captain and Walmart Transportation driver. The other, another America’s Road Team captain and a TForce Freight driver, is Henry Bruster, who attended the appreciation event at DOT headquarters and explained his lifelong dream to work in the industry.

“My love for trucks and the trucking industry began at a very early age,” said Bruster. “As a little boy, I always wanted to climb in the truck, talk to the driver, and grow up to be one of those drivers I idolized as a young child.”

Other trucking organizations, state agencies, freight companies, and lawmakers also spoke out about their gratitude for truck drivers throughout the country.

“This week is Truck Driver Appreciation Week!” said U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member, Representative Mike Bost of Illinois, last month. “As a former truck driver myself, I want to thank all of the hardworking men and women who spend long hours driving over the road to ensure that store shelves are stocked.”

Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, Garner Trucking CEO and ATA Chairman, also made sure to point out that 2021 is a particularly important year to acknowledge and thank truckers thoroughly.

“I call on every American to join ATA and me in honoring our drivers,” she said. “This year has a special meaning in recognizing these frontline heroes who have continued to deliver life’s essentials during the pandemic.”