A decaled Kenworth T680 will undertake an important mission this fall – transporting this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas tree some 3,000 miles to 10 community celebrations en route to the tree-lighting event in Washington, D.C.The Kenworth T680’s decal design has been unveiled in advance of the Oct. 27 tree-cutting of the 2015 Capitol Christmas Tree near Seward, AK. The design features the Chugach Mountains and the U.S. Capitol beneath a northern starry sky with the words “From the Northern Lights to Capitol Lights.” It also includes the 2015 Capitol Christmas Tree official seal, a map of the tour route across the United States, and the Alaska state logo of Lynden Transport. The T680 was made available for the tour by PacLease, which provides customized full-service lease, rental and contract maintenance programs featuring Kenworth trucks, the company said.The 2015 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree is a 74-ft. Lutz spruce, which will be shipped from Anchorage by Totem Ocean Express to the Port of Tacoma. Lynden Transport driver John Schank, who has logged more than 5 million miles on the treacherous Dalton Highway between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay, AK, will then pilot the T680 from Seattle on its 3,000-mile journey to D.C. The T680 will pull a trailer specially designed for the Tree.According to Kenworth, the T680 76-inch mid-roof sleeper is equipped with a 485-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine with 1,650-lb.-ft. of torque. The truck also features an Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated manual transmission and Kenworth TruckTech+. Compared to Kenworth’s 76-inch high-roof sleeper, the sleeper offers a 100-lb. weight savings for additional payload capacity and less aerodynamic drag with up to a 5% fuel economy savings for flatbed applications, depending on load conditions, Kenworth added.“The tour of ‘The People’s Tree’ offers millions of Americans an opportunity to see our nation’s symbol of celebration,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “The Kenworth T680 mid-roof 76-inch sleeper offers the perfect spec’d truck to complete this important tour. It provides a comfortable work environment and the truck’s inspiring graphics offer visitors at each stop a nice reminder of the tree’s origin and destination.”The tour will also include a stop at Kenworth’s Chillicothe, OH, plant, where the truck was built, plus a community event in Chillicothe on Tuesday, Nov. 17. For more information, visit the 2015 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree website. The public can track the truck’s progress at Trackthetree.com.
