California, here comes the OOIDA tour trailer

October 11, 2022

Chuck Robinson

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Starting Oct. 12, Marty Ellis plans to have the OOIDA tour trailer in Sparks, Nev., which is part of the Reno metropolitan area and a stone’s throw from the California state line.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 12-13, Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer are scheduled to be at the Sparks Petro at Exit 21 from I-80. On Friday and Sunday, Oct. 14-15, Ellis plans to head to the Sparks TA off Exit 19.

On Sunday and Monday, Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer cross the state line into the Golden State. They are scheduled Oct. 16-17 to be at the TA Travel Center on the I-5 in Redding, Calif.

Both of the stops in Sparks are at large truck stops, although the Petro is bigger.

The Sparks Petro has parking for 400 tractor-trailers. There is an Iron Skillet restaurant there. The Sparks TA has parking for 200 tractor-trailers. There is a Fuddruckers restaurant there, according to the website.

There is parking for 196 tractor-trailers at Redding TA, which is about 200 miles from Sparks. Restaurant options listed are Popeyes and Pizza Hut Express.

Sparks is the launching pad for a tour of California truck stops for Ellis and the Spirit of the American Trucker. After Redding, the stops planned in California are Corning, Dixon, Livingston, Santa Nella, Wheeler Ridge, Ontario and Barstow.

OOIDA wants to hear from truck drivers there about the issues they are facing in the Golden State.

Health discussion on Land Line Now

Ellis regularly talks with the host of Land Line Now on Friday broadcasts about what he is hearing from drivers on the road.

Health issues was the theme of last Friday’s program. Most of us don’t take the time to eat correctly, he said.

“There’s lot of times when you’re tired, you’re feeling down, you’re missing home – whatever the case may be – you’re reaching for that feel-good food, whether it’s those onion rings or the ice cream or the cake. Deep-fried foods seem to really hit the spot so many times,” Ellis said.

Though most of us know that food isn’t very healthful, it’s readily available and often cheaper than healthier options, he said, so it is something a driver can justify in their head. He tries to keep the less-healthy stuff out of the truck cab, he said.

He added his morning walks make him feel better. He says he posts on social media that he goes on his walks to encourage others to get out and stretch their legs but also to hold himself accountable to himself.

“I’ll have guys, if I don’t walk for a couple of days or don’t post for a couple of days, they will call me up and say, hey, what’s going on?” he said.

Listen to Ellis on Land Line Now

Photos from the Show and Shine for a Special Kind

Over the past weekend, Ellis had the OOIDA tour trailer at the second annual Show and Shine for a Special Kind in St. Joe State Park in Park Hills, Mo. Here are some photos he snapped.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see the OOIDA tour trailer, stop by and say hello. Ellis looks forward to visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues. There are copies of Land Line Magazine to pick up there. You can join or renew your membership for $10 off the regular price at The Spirit. Face masks are available at The Spirit for anyone with a commercial driver’s license.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL