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With the help of several local sponsors, the event offered complimentary
bags which contained hand sanitizer and a personal marker to sign
the tree’s banner; live remote broadcasts with iHeart Media’s 99.9 KISS
Country Eddie Fox, 104.3 STAR Ariel Rymer, and 570 WWNC Mark Starling;
a hot cocoa station, ITeam Games, and a photobooth sponsored by
Ingles Markets; a toy drive benefitting Eblen Charities; food and beverages
by Chick-fil-A and Sierra Nevada; and more.
“Asheville Outlets was thrilled to help host the U.S. Capitol Tree whistle
stop this year,” shared Asheville Outlets General Manager Miranda Bowman.
“This event was a huge success, bringing Christmas cheer and holiday
excitement to our community during a challenging year.”
The tree itself wasn’t the only thing that brought attention to the event.
Transporting the tree across the country was a Kenworth T680 featuring
a custom wrap that paid homage to Colorado’s 14,023-foot Wilson Peak
in Colorado’s Uncompahgre National Forest and the phrase, “From colorful
Colorado to America’s front steps.” This was Kenworth’s seventh
year to donate the truck for the trip.
Schmalzried and fellow trucking lifer Hanna were tapped for the honor
of hauling the tree 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,” shared Hanna.
The driving duo 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.
Those interested in the trek were able to track the progress of the
run online. Using FleetLocate by Spireon’s advanced trailer management
technology, capitoltreetracker.com provided real-time GPS location
tracking of the tree as it made its way to the U.S. Capitol.
After the stop in North Carolina, the tree was delivered to the West
Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on November 20. Upon arrival, it was decorated
with handmade ornaments specially created by Coloradans. The tree
was lit during a live-streamed ceremony in early December.
On the last jaunt into D.C., Schmalzried was joined not only by Hanna,
but by company president Walt Schattinger. Schmalzried said that, as
honored as he was to drive the truck, he felt equally proud to see his
boss get to enjoy the moment.
“This is something that doesn’t happen to very many people, to get
that chance to do it, or for a trucking outfit to do it,” said Schmalzried.
Hanna agreed, calling the tree assignment a fitting cap to a
rewarding career.
Opposite page, top: Cargo Transporters, Inc.’s Shawn Brown, left,
and Derrick Whittle, pose with Santa Claus during the Asheville, North
Carolina, whistle stop. Opposite page, bottom: Visitors to the whistle
stop had the opportunity to sign a banner that traveled with the tree
to the U.S. Capitol’s West Lawn. This page, top: U.S. Forest Service
employees smile after signing the banner. This page, center: Theron
Schmalzried, right, and William “Butch” Hanna, drivers with Coloradobased
Apex Transportation, were tapped to drive the tree to Washington,
D.C. They are shown in front of the custom-wrapped Kenworth T680
that hauled the tree this year. This page, bottom: The whistle stop,
hosted by the Truckload Carriers Association and Cargo Transporters,
Inc., was a free event offering a chance for the public to see the tree on
its way to Washington, D.C. More than 500 people attended the event.
To view photos from the Asheville event, or from
the tree’s entire journey, visit truckload.org/Flickr.
TCA 2021 www.Truckload.org | TRUCKLOAD AUTHORITY 33