A Delivery of a Lifetime: Making the Seasons a little Brighter during a Difficult Year
Over the past month, two professional truck drivers traveled cross-country to deliver the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree — a 55-foot tall and 25-foot wide Engelman Spruce tree — from the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests their home state of Colorado to our nation’s capital building in Washington, D.C.
Theron Schmalzried and Butch Hanna, professional truck drivers for Apex Transportation, pictured below from left to right, were the driver duo who worked together to safely transport the tree. During the 2,000-mile journey, the drivers made stops in several communities along the way — making stops in Colorado and North Carolina so that community members could gather to see “The People’s Tree” that will shine brightly on the U.S. Capitol lawn throughout the holiday season.
This year, during a difficult time for many Americans, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree has been a much-needed symbol of hope. During the delivery of a lifetime, Theron and Butch took pride in helping to spread some holiday cheer and make the seasons a little brighter for their fellow Americans.
Continue reading to learn more about the drivers who delivered the tree.
Theron Schmalzried
Theron Schmalzried has been driving for 42 years, including 23 with Apex Transportation, and has accumulated more than 4 million miles of experience as a professional truck driver. During his career, Theron has received numerous awards with the most recent being the Long Haul Driver of the Month in September 2019.
In an op-ed he wrote for Fox News, Theron described this delivery as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” When describing how he felt making the delivery, Theron said, he felt “extremely honored to represent the trucking industry and [his] company, Apex Transportation.”
While speaking with The Hill, Theron said, “It was really surprising to see how many people were tracking the tree and stopping to see it as the tree passed through.” Theron discussed the excitement and enthusiasm he saw while making stops along the way during an interview on Fox News, which you can watch below.
Butch Hanna
Professional truck driver Butch Hanna has been driving for 41 years, including 17 with Apex Transportation, and has more than 105,000 hours of experience. Butch has received numerous safety awards during his career, including the Short Haul Driver of the month award in October 2019.
During a stop in Grand Junction, Colorado, while discussing his journey with The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Butch said, It’s been a blast. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed it.”
While at a stop in Denver, Butch told a local TV station, 9 News, “It’s an honor. I’ve drove a truck for 41 years and this is probably the neatest thing I’ve ever hauled.” You can watch his interview below.
