OREANDA-NEWS. Power management company Eaton has partnered with truck manufacturer Kenworth to support the Capitol Christmas Tree project, a joint collaboration between corporate and other entities to deliver a 74-foot Lutz Spruce from Alaska to Washington, D.C., for the 2015 holiday season.

The tree, which was cut on Oct. 27 from the Chugach National Forest near Seward, Alaska, currently is traveling 4,000 miles — 3,000 by land and 1,000 by sea — making 13 celebratory stops in communities along the way. During its over-the-road travels, the tree will be transported by a Kenworth T680 76-inch mid-roof sleeper tour truck outfitted with an Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated manual transmission and a specially designed tour trailer.

“We’re pleased to partner with Kenworth on this 3,000-mile journey,” said Dave Karnes, vice president, sales, Eaton. “The T680 uses our latest heavy-duty transmission technology, the Fuller Advantage® series, for optimal fuel efficiency and driver comfort.”            

Features of the Eaton Fuller Advantage automated transmission include the strategic use of lightweight components and precision lubrication, which reduces churning losses and eliminates the need for a cooler. These factors reduce weight, increase reliability and improve fuel efficiency. Optimized shifting is based on grade, vehicle weight, engine torque and throttle position.

“For the next few weeks, the Kenworth T680 with the 76-inch mid-roof sleeper serves as ‘America’s Truck’ as it transports ‘The People’s Tree’ across the country to Washington, D.C.,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “This new Kenworth configuration provides excellent fuel efficiency and driver comfort with inspirational graphics for those seeing the truck on the road or at the community events.”

The Kenworth T680 was made available for the tour by PacLease, which provides customized full-service lease, rental and contract maintenance programs featuring Kenworth trucks. It is the second consecutive year PacLease has provided a Kenworth truck for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree tour.

Since 1970, a tree has come from a different National Forest every year. This is the first tree to come from Alaska and also the first to be transported partly by sea. After arrival in Washington, D.C., the tree will be set up outside the U.S. Capitol building and lit by newly elected U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on Dec. 2.

Eaton is a power management company with 2014 sales of $22.6 billion. Eaton provides energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton has approximately 99,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.