It's December, which means Christmas time is here. In the work truck industry, Christmas time arrives with the 2022 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour. 

It was learned in September a Kenworth T680 Next Generation will transport the 2022 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the National Forests in North Carolina to Washington, D.C., with stops en route to a full slate of community celebrations.

This year’s tour began on Nov. 2 from the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. The tour's theme was “From the Mountains to the Sea.”

Along with the whimsical nature of the holidays, Hardy Brothers Trucking fulfilled one couple's dream.

Husband-and-wife driver team Ed Kingdon, Jr. and Deb Kingdon had the opportunity to transport the 2022 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina to Washington, D.C., according to Paccar's news release.

“When I retired from the military in 2018, Deb and I decided to begin careers in something we could do together since our kids were grown,” said Ed. “We love to travel the country and saw truck driving as a job we’d enjoy. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be the ones responsible for delivering the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree to D.C. Christmas is such a special holiday to our family, so to have shared this experience with our kids and grandkids who visited the community celebrations as we made our way to the capital was truly memorable.” 

Hardy Brothers Trucking, the official U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour carrier, selected the Kingdons, who have driven for the company for more than four years.

This year, Deb became the first female driver to help transport the special tree to Washington, D.C.

“It was an honor to be selected as one of the drivers and become the first woman driver to haul the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree,” said Deb. “It was an experience of a lifetime.”

The tree was delivered to the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 18, while the lighting ceremony took place on Nov. 29.

The Kenworth T680 Next Generation sported a special look this year, which featured the U.S. Capitol Building, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, and a background of the sunset overlooking the Pisgah National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains.

Driving for Hardy Brothers Trucking, the Kingdons spent a lot of time on the road.

“The turnout at the events was great, everyone seemed to be excited to see the tree and sign the trailer,” said Deb. “The tour was far from what we experience in our day-to-day job, and we had so much fun meeting those who came out to enjoy the community celebrations and take part in the joy that comes with the holiday season.”