Photo gallery: U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree makes its way from Idaho to Washington D.C.

There’s no specific time when the Christmas season begins. Some say it’s the day after Thanksgiving, some say it’s December 1, whereas others start listening to Christmas music in October. If we needed to identify a specific moment when the Christmas season begins, a good candidate might be the arrival of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. Kenworth took charge of the hauling of the Capitol Christmas Tree, which this year originated in Idaho, to Washington, D.C.

“This year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour provided some great memories for adults and children,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth’s marketing director. “A special thanks goes to Gary Amoth and his Kenworth T680 for safely transporting ‘The People’s Tree’ to its final destination, where it will be enjoyed throughout this special time of year.”

Below, enjoy a photo gallery chronicling the tree’s journey from the Payette National Forest to the nation’s capital.

Photo credits: James Edward Mills / Choose Outdoors — unless otherwise specified.

This 80-ft. Englemann Spruce from the Payette National Forest was chosen on Nov. 2 as the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree for its perfectly cylindrical shape and full branches all the way around.

Gary Amoth, owner of Twin Falls, Idaho-based Gary Amoth Trucking, drove this truck hauling the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree from Idaho to Washington, D.C., a 4,000-mile, three-week journey.

The truck hauling the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is a Kenworth T680, specially decaled for its owner, Gary Amoth. The 76-in. sleeper is equipped with a 485-HP PACCAR MX-13 engine, an Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated transmission, and the new PACCAR Axle.

The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour makes a stop at the state capitol in Boise on its way from the Payette National Forest, where the tree was harvested, to the nation’s capital. Gary Amoth, owner of Gary Amoth Trucking, is driving the specially decaled Kenworth T680.

The truck first traveled north into the Panhandle, then turned south to Twin Falls and Idaho Falls before leaving the state on Nov. 15.

The 2016 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour came to an end with the delivery of the tree to the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 28. Photo credit: Kenworth PR.

Finally, the tree lighting ceremony took place on Dec. 6. ’tis the season.

Geotab Connect, HDAW, TMC, Work Truck Week—It's been a busy start to the year here at Fleet Equipment. From tires to tech, connectivity to components, there's a list of topics that we've covered as companies look to deliver new products throughout this year, and beyond.

What have been some of the key themes so far? If you guessed EVs, you'd be right... sort of. While the race to the electrified future is always top of mind when talking about industry developments, this year, another big "E" took center stage, and that is efficiency. Many companies seem to be focusing on improving current generation technology to make sure fleets can get the most out of the money they've invested in their trucks.