Come Sunday, the OOIDA tour trailer will be in Rochelle, Ill.

stopping From Sunday through Tuesday, look for Marty Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer at the Petro Travel Center in Rochelle, Ill.

The Spirit of the American Trucker is scheduled to be there April 10-12. The Rochelle Petro is at the junction of I-39 and Route 38. That is Exit 99 from the interstate.

The Rochelle Petro is one of the bigger ones as far as parking is concerned. There are 400 parking spaces for tractor-trailers. The Iron Skillet is open there, though it is closed on Monday.

Rochelle is about 80 miles west of Chicago and 25 south of Rockford, Ill.

A transportation hub

Rochelle has a long history as a transportation hub. The first transcontinental highway in the United States, the Lincoln Highway, passed through Rochelle, as did U.S. 51, one of the first highways to go the full north-south length of the United States.

Also, two major rail lines – the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway mainlines – cross within the city limits. In fact, Rochelle is something of a hot spot for train watching because about 100 trains a day pass through it. The city has created the Rochelle Railroad Park at the rail intersection to accommodate the trainspotters. The park is about 3 miles from the Petro in downtown Rochelle.

Buzz among drivers

Some drivers stopping by the OOIDA tour trailer have responded to Land Line John Bendel’s recent column on the ATA’s claims in a blog that driver turnover is actually a good thing. “High turnover is an indicator of driver empowerment,” the blog reads. The drivers are skeptical and are siding with Bendel on that, he said. Changing carriers isn’t something drivers want to do.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see OOIDA’s 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.

After Rochelle, Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer are scheduled to be at the OOIDA spring Board of Directors meeting in Grain Valley, Mo.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL