Kenworth to get Christmas tree to U.S. Capitol again

An 80-foot-tall evergreen will travel from Idaho’s Payette National Forest to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in early November, and the trucking industry will help make that possible.

A specially-decaled Kenworth T680 will transport the 52nd U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree on a special cross-country tour, which will visit 26 community celebrations during the 2,800-mile journey.

This Kenworth T680 will carry the Capitol Christmas Tree to Washington, D.C.

The 80-foot-tall Englemann Spruce will be cut on Nov. 2 near McCall, Idaho, and placed on a trailer designed for the tree. 

Following the tree-cutting and send-off, the Kenworth T680 equipped with a 76-in. sleeper, Paccar MX-13 engine, Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated transmission and Kenworth TruckTech+ will haul the tree to a community event in downtown McCall. The T680’s distinctive decal design features the tree and the U.S. Capitol beneath the words “From Tree to Shining Tree.”

Gary Amoth, owner of Gary Amoth Trucking, will be the primary driver of the special T680, Kenworth says. 

Gary Amoth Trucking was chosen as the hauler for this year’s tree at the recommendation of local Kenworth dealer – Kenworth Sales Co. and based on Amoth’s reputation in the trucking industry in Idaho, according to Bruce Ward, president of Choose Outdoors. Amoth, who started his trucking company hauling agricultural commodities with one truck in 1983, expanded the business into a Twin Falls, Idaho-based full-service carrier with a fleet of more than 100 trucks hauling overseas containers for the drayage market, as well as flatbed and container freight.

Choose Outdoors is a non-profit organization that assists the U.S. Forest Service with coordinating the annual tour.

Last year’s Christmas tree lighting in Washington, D.C.

Those stops along the trip to Washington, D.C. include:

• McCall, ID (Nov. 5 from 5:00 –7:00 p.m. at Downtown McCall, 1000 2^nd Street)
• Cascade, ID (Nov. 6 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Kelly’s Whitewater Park, E Mill St)
• Horseshoe Bend, ID (Nov. 6 from 1 – 2 p.m. at Horseshoe Bend School District #73, 398 School Drive)
• Boise, ID (Nov. 6 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Cabela’s, 8109 West Franklin Road)
• Boise, ID (Nov. 7 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Idaho State Capitol, 700 W Jefferson St)
• Weiser, ID (Nov. 8 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Main Street)
• Council, ID (Nov. 8 from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. at 101 Bleeker Street)
• New Meadows, ID (Nov. 9 from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at 101 Virginia Street)
• Grangeville, ID (Nov. 9 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at Grangeville Senior Center, 108 Truck Route)
• Lapwai, ID (Nov. 10 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Nez Perce National Historic Park, 39063 U.S. Highway 95)
• Moscow, ID (Nov. 10 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at University of Idaho, 709 S Deakin St)
• Coeur d’Alene, ID (Nov. 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at 525 East Front Avenue)
• Salmon, ID (Nov. 12 from 2:30 –4:30 p.m. at 204 Main St)
• Idaho Falls, ID (Nov. 14 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Alturas Academy, 3950 S. Yellowstone Hwy)
• Twin Falls, ID (Nov. 14 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at 4^th/5^th and Shoshone Street East)
• Ogden, UT (Nov. 15 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Forest Service Regional Office, 324 25^th Street)
• Grand Junction, CO (Nov.16 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Mesa Mall, 2424 Old US Hwy 6 & 50)
• Glenwood Springs, CO (Nov.17 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Centennial Park/9th Street)
• Denver, CO (Nov. 18 from 12:00- 2:00 p.m. at Bass Pro Shop, 7970 Northfield Blvd.)
• Kansas City, MO (Nov. 19 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Union Station Kansas City, 30 W Pershing Rd)
• Columbia, MO (Nov. 20 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Holiday Inn Executive Center, Columbia Mall, 2200 I-70 Drive S.W.)
• Paducah, KY (Nov. 21 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Noble Park, 2801 Park Ave)
• Paducah, KY (Nov. 22 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Noble Park, 2801 Park Ave)
• Nashville, TN (Nov. 22 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Bass Pro Shops Opry Mills, 323 Opry Mills Dr.)
• Knoxville, TN (Nov. 23)
• Blacksburg, VA (Nov. 25 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at 135 College Ave.)
• Joint Base Andrews, MD (Nov. 27)

Trucking organizations among the sponsors are:

• Truckload Carriers Association
• Kenworth
• Gary Amoth Trucking
• Eaton
• Meritor
• Shell