PeopleNet, a Trimble company and provider of fleet mobility technology, is providing real-time tracking of the 2014 Capitol Christmas Tree’s cross-country journey to the Nation’s Capitol in conjunction with its sister company ALK.
The Capitol Christmas Tree will travel from the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota to the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. via the website www.capitolchristmastree.com.
“Aiding in the transportation logistics of an 80-foot-tall white spruce on a semi-truck from Minnesota to the Washington DC is an exciting event for PeopleNet and ALK,” said Brian McLaughlin, President of PeopleNet. “We are proud to be a part of a 50-year tradition and are eager to utilize our asset tracking technology in a way that allows everyone to follow along and participate in the delivery of this year’s ‘People’s Tree.’”
The tree will be cut during a public ceremony Oct. 29 and will then be moved to Bemidji State University, where it will be prepared for the nearly 2,000-mile cross-country expedition. More than 30 celebrations are being planned during the tour, culminating with the official tree lighting in early December. Seventy companion trees also will be provided by the Minnesota Christmas Tree Growers Association to decorate the inside of the U.S. Capitol building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C., in addition to 10,000 ornaments created by children and others from Minnesota communities representing the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”