2012_TTJM_AllPages

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Behind the wheel Precious Longtime truckers get assignment of a lifetime with hauling U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree By Dwain Hebda / contributing WRITER In more than four decades on the road, Theron Schmalzried has seen a little bit of everything and dealt with situations where quick wits and a cool head saved the day. So, when Walt Schattinger, president of Colorado-based Apex Transportation called him recently, he was all ears. Nothing, however, could have prepared Schmalzried for what the boss had to tell him: He was going to be part of a team that would deliver the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree — aka “The People’s Christmas Tree” — to Washington, D.C. “When Walt called me, I could tell by his tone of voice it wasn’t a prank,” Schmalzried said. “Walt was pretty excited, and it is an exciting opportunity. It’s kind of neat.” Schmalzried and fellow trucking lifer William “Butch” Hanna were tapped for the honor based in part on their experience. Schmalzried has 42 years of truck-driving experience, 23 of them with Apex, while Hanna has been behind the wheel for 41 years and driving with Apex for 17. Along the way, both have been recognized by the industry with numerous driver and safety awards. “It means a lot to me because there’s just a handful of guys that get a chance to do this. It’s just an honor,” Hanna said. “My grandkids are all excited.” Every year, a different national forest is selected to provide a tree to display on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building for the holiday season. The 2020 tree, a 55-foot Engelmann Spruce, was harvested Nov. 6 in Colorado’s Uncompahgre National Forest. From there, it embarked on a tour within the state beginning Nov. 10. The tour, themed Experience Your Nature, was a joint partnership between Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests, the nonprofit Choose Outdoors and Colorado Tourism. Hanna handled the driving for the Colorado portion of the journey; then he switched off with Schmalzried, who took the load the bulk of the way east. The duo then met up for the final leg of the run into Washington D.C. Hanna said his portion of the route and scheduled stops went smoothly, even though COVID-19 forced at least one event’s cancellation and turned the rest into either drive-by viewing opportunities or designated zones where the public could view the motorcade as it passed through. “The disappointing part is … this COVID stuff,” Hanna said. “Instead of people coming up to the trailer, they just got to drive by and look at it. That’s kind of disappointing. But as far the route itself, everything went really good.” 10 the trucker jobs magazine | DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 www.TheTruckerjobs.com
Photos courtesy of James Edward Mills The 2020 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was carried by a Kenworth T680. This is the seventh year Kenworth has provided the tractor to deliver “The People’s Christmas Tree.” Theron Schmalzried, right, and William “Butch” Hanna, drivers with Colorado-based Apex Transportation, were tapped to drive the tree to Washington, D.C. Every year, a different national forest is selected to provide a tree to display on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building. The 2020 tree, a 55-foot Engelmann Spruce, was harvested Nov. 6 in Colorado’s Uncompahgre National Forest. Before arriving in Washington D.C., the tree made several stops throughout Colorado, including a Nov. 11 visit to the Ouray County Courthouse.
Page 1 and 2: JOBS MAGAZINE JOB Resources: Carrie
Page 3 and 4: No start-up costs or Hazmat require
Page 6 and 7: JOB resources carrier culture These
Page 8 and 9: JOB resources How does the carrier
Page 12 and 13: Behind the wheel “It means a lot
Page 14 and 15: ON THE ROAD with Ken Armstrong Phot
Page 16 and 17: 16 the trucker jobs magazine | DECE
Page 18 and 19: along for the ride Photos courtesy
Page 20 and 21: along for the ride them at home, ju
Page 22 and 23: 22 the trucker jobs magazine | DECE
Page 24 and 25: RIG of the month Interview by Wendy
Page 26: Our company drivers earn approximat
Page 29 and 30: HIRING FLATBED OWNER OPERATORS •
Page 32: Is the largest Bulk Food Grade carr

2012_TTJM_AllPages

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?