Capitol Christmas Tree Journey

An American truck driver is on a mission to spread holiday cheer through a special delivery. Michael Porter, hailing from Arizona, is transporting the annual Christmas tree to Washington, D.C. This year’s tree, selected from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, will cover about 3,000 miles, with 12 planned stops along the way, much like two truck drivers from Alaska did last year.

The tree, a 53-foot red fir named “Silverbell,” is being carried on a 101-foot flatbed truck by Swift Transportation. Porter mentioned that he learned he’d be part of this project just two weeks prior to departure.

“I headed to Reno knowing exactly what I was getting into,” Porter shared. He spoke about the honor of representing his company and the trucking industry in such a significant way. He emphasized the teamwork involved, noting, “There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work to ensure everything ran smoothly.”

Porter, who has been in the trucking business for seven years, expressed amazement at the gatherings during the stops. “We had a big turnout at the whistle stops, everyone was smiling and cheering,” he recalled. He also noted people were watching from bridges and giving thumbs-up while he drove, which added to the festive atmosphere.

Interestingly, Porter likes to listen to ’90s country music while driving, although he joked about avoiding his Christmas tunes during the journey since there was a lot of Christmas music played at the events.

This year’s delivery will culminate with a stop at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, before the tree reaches the Capitol’s West Lawn. The Capitol Christmas tree tradition, established 55 years ago, began when then-Speaker John McCormack placed a live tree on the Capitol lawn, as noted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Every year, a different national forest is chosen to provide the “People’s Tree,” part of an ongoing campaign to celebrate national forests across the country.