TCA Members Participate in Huge Wreath Delivery Effort

Alexandria, Virginia:

For a second year, Barry Pottle, president and CEO of Pottle’s Transportation, Bangor, Maine, and past chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association, once again donated his time and equipment to drive a truckload of wreaths to decorate Arlington National Cemetery for the holidays. He recruited TCA members Baylor Transportation, Prime Transportation, Jagtrux, and Motor Carrier Services to join in on the effort.

“Many people recognize that this is a great opportunity to support the men and women who fought for our freedom, and to do something that honors their sacrifice,” said Pottle. “So when I asked some of the other trucking companies to get involved, I wasn’t too surprised that they immediately stepped up to the plate.”

The participating TCA members hauled truckloads of approximately 5,600 wreaths each that were being delivered to 405 cemeteries across the United States as part of the Wreaths Across America program. New this year, wreath ceremonies were added for the various locations where planes went down on September 11, 2001. As the wreaths were delivered, the convoys stopped at various schools and veterans rallies as part of the program’s mission to remember the fallen, honor those who serve in the military, and teach children the value of their service. The effort culminated with various nationwide wreath-laying ceremonies around 12 noon on December 12, 2009, which was designated by the U.S. Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day.”

One of the largest of all the ceremonies took place at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Pottle personally drove one of the loads that contained some of the special wreaths for this ceremony, including wreaths for President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite and the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Pottle is passionate about the wreath-laying program, which began more than 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays. This year, he joined with Rob Worcester, son of the program’s founder, and Fred Varney, a truck driver for Wal-Mart, to coordinate most of the trucking logistics for the effort.