Journey of joy: know the heroes that hauled the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

Lynden drivers John Schank and Fred Austin successfully brought the Christmas spirit across the country.

The 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, an 80-foot Sitka spruce from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, began its journey of more than 6,000 km on November 30. After making 11 stops along the way, it completed its journey on December 22 in Washington, D.C., where it was lit in a ceremony on December 3. This is a 54-year tradition that Americans eagerly await each holiday season.

This year, one of the most special aspects of the holiday celebration was the drivers responsible for transporting the Christmas tree. With over 10 million kilometers driven safely and nearly 100 years of combined driving experience, Lynden drivers John Schank and Fred Austin successfully brought the Christmas spirit across the country.

John Schank and Fred Austin: Christmas heroes

The tree was transported in a Kenworth T680 by the trucking company Lynden. From Alaska to Washington, D.C., Schank and Austin shared the task of delivering the 80-foot tree, ensuring it was protected from any danger and that the drive was completely safe at all times.

This was not Schank’s first rodeo, as it is the second time he has represented Lynden on the Christmas tour. Schank, who has been named Driver of the Year twice by the Alaska Trucking Association in 2014 and 2017, was the sole driver on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour when the tree was last harvested in Alaska in 2015. With nearly 50 years of driving experience for Lynden, Schank shared how much he enjoyed spreading holiday cheer while traveling across the country.

On the other hand, Austin is also a veteran of Lynden. With more than 6 million kilometers of experience on Alaska’s roads, he currently trains drivers for the company. Austin started his career driving a 1944 Kenworth and remains active in the industry at nearly 90 years of age. “Our top priority is safety, and we’re proud to have completed this trip safely and on time,“ said the driver, as reported by The Trucker. Fred Austin described his work in the trucking industry as a very rewarding career and emphasized how fulfilling it is to know that, as a trucker, one can make a difference by transporting important goods and services.

A safe and comfortable journey to the Capitol

Schank and Austin made several stops at community events to celebrate the tree on their way to Washington, D.C., including stops in Renton, Wash., near the Kenworth manufacturing plant in Renton, and at the Kenworth plant in Chillicothe, Ohio. “It’s special to travel across the country and celebrate the holidays with so many people,” said Austin in an article published by Overdrive, emphasizing how much he enjoyed making this journey once again.

According to Schank, both he and Austin, with their experience transporting heavy equipment for the oil and gas industries, felt comfortable transporting the Hale trailer used to deliver the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Austin highlighted advancements in truck safety technologies, such as the Kenworth T680 used for the journey, which featured state-of-the-art driver assistance systems, including digital mirrors, Bendix Fusion adaptive cruise control (ACC) Stop and Auto Go, and lane maintenance assist with power steering.

For the eleventh consecutive year, Kenworth has been one of the primary sponsors of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree program, providing trucks to transport the tree each holiday season. The tree will be lit every evening until 11:00 p.m., from its arrival on December 3 through the night of January 1, 2025.