A special Kenworth T680 Next Generation, sporting a newly installed graphics wrap, will transport the 2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from California to the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building for the tree-lighting ceremony in early December.

“Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree” is this year’s tour theme, and a logo of that message is prominently displayed on the T680 Next Gen roof. The driver and passenger side both display graphics of the U.S. Capitol Building, U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree decorated with lights, and a background of the sunset over the rolling hills of the Six Rivers National Forest. The words “U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, Six Rivers National Forest, California to Washington D.C.," are placed above the images.

This 2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree – an 84-foot tall White Fir nicknamed “Sugar Bear” – is scheduled to be harvested October 24 from the Six Rivers National Forest in California.

System Transport is the official designated carrier for the 2021 tour. The company will use its new Kenworth T680 Next Gen equipped with a 76-inch mid-roof sleeper to transport the special tree on its 3,300-mile route. The T680 Next Gen provides drivers with the most aerodynamic Kenworth truck ever, latest Kenworth SmartWheel, new customizable 15-inch digital display, full forward LED lighting down the road, additional advanced driver assistance systems, and comfortable cab and sleeper. It marks the eighth consecutive year that a Kenworth truck will deliver “The People’s Tree.”

System Transport employees Bill Brunk, Jeremy Bellinger, Mike English, Terry Jefferson, Robert Lee, and John Schnell were selected to drive the T680 Next Gen transporting the Tree. The driver team will receive support from System Transport employees Lonnie Epley, Joel Eggert, and Sean Magee.

The company hauls all types of flatbed freight, primarily throughout the West Coast to the Midwest. System Transport maintains its headquarters in Cheney, Washington, with terminals in Denver and Phoenix; French Camp, Fresno and Bloomington, California; Caldwell, Idaho; Gary, Indiana; Olathe, Kansas; and Ennis, Texas. 

Community celebrations are scheduled from Oct. 29 – Nov. 16 throughout California and across the U.S. en route to the U.S. Capitol. Smaller companion trees also will be provided to decorate offices inside of the U.S. Capitol Building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C., along with 15,000 handmade ornaments created by Californians.