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

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

Two American truckers, John Schank and Fred Austin, will be transporting the annual U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from Wrangell, Alaska, to Washington, D.C., in a 4,000-mile journey.......                    ...                        ...Two American truck drivers will embark on a cross-country journey in honor of a special Yuletide delivery.......Alaska natives John Schank and Fred Austin will bring holiday cheer to Washington, D.C., by transporting the annual Christmas Tree to the U.S. Capitol.......This year's tree was selected from Alaska's National Forests, traveling 4,000 miles from Tongass National Forest near Wrangell, making 11 stops along the way, so Americans can get a chance to see the People's Tree.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......The tree will be carried by Lynden Transport in an 80-foot You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login covered with protective wrapping and a plexiglass window at the rear. (See the video at the top of this article.)......The drive could take roughly three weeks to complete......."My favorite part of this trip is the show-and-tell time, not the driving time," Austin told Fox News Digital.......Austin of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, has been driving with Lynden Transport for 50 years and says it's "pretty cool" to be transporting the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.......Schank said this will be his second time transporting the tree......."I moved it back in 2015. I came out to Chugiak National Forest near Seward, Alaska, and I'm looking forward to doing it here," he told Fox News Digital.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Between the men, they've safely driven for a combined estimate of 100 years stretching around 10 million miles.......Schank has also been driving big rigs for 50 years and said the route that he and Austin are taking is all mapped out......."The trailer is 80 feet long and the tree just barely fits inside of it ... We will take care of the precious cargo we've got, and we will drive accordingly," said Schank.......Banners adorn You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, giving Americans a chance to leave their name and a message with a marker at selected stops. ......"You can actually look in and see the tree ... and when we're stopped, they turn the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login on," said Austin.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"John and Fred are a dynamic duo of driving experience, leadership, and positive energy, which will make the cross-country trip memorable," Paul Grimaldi, president of Lynden Transport, said in a statement.......The 54-year tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree began when You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login John McCormack, D-Mass., placed a live Christmas tree on the Capitol lawn, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture......."This tree lived three years before succumbing to wind and root damage. In 1970, the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login asked the U.S. Forest Service to provide a Christmas tree," a news release said.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Each year a different national forest is selected to provide "the People's Tree" in an annual campaign to celebrate You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.......The tree will be making stops You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland before arrival at the Capitol's West Lawn.......Americans can track the People's Tree at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login....

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