Find The Spirit and several OOIDA crew members at SuperRigs

July 24, 2019

Chuck Robinson

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The next stop for The Spirit at the 37th annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs will be sort of an OOIDA family gathering.

Shell Rotella SuperRigs takes place July 25-27 at Trail’s Travel Center in Albert Lea, Minn.

Trail’s Travel Center is at the intersection of I-35 and I-90.

Jon Osburn, skipper of OOIDA’s touring tractor-trailer the Spirit of the American Trucker, plans to be there with his canine co-pilot, Sassi.

Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of OOIDA, also plans to attend SuperRigs.

Land Line Managing Editor Jami Jones will once again be one of the judges the SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest. This is her 18th year judging the competition.

Doug Morris, director of safety and security operations for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, is also a contest judge.

Osburn is already on site at Shell Rotella SuperRigs. In fact, The Spirit is visible from the interstate.  Looking around, Osburn says it is a huge event that is coming together.

“I think it’s going to be just as big as last year,” he said. “There will be concerts and fireworks, and it is going to be a lot of fun.”

The centerpiece of the three-day event is the annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest.

Hard working owner-operator truckers from across the United States and Canada compete annually for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. Twelve drivers will be selected to have their trucks featured in the annual 2020 Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar.

The contest began in 1982. It has a working truck category, limited mileage working truck category, and nonworking/show truck category.

Last year, OOIDA member Eric Turner Sr. of Ellenwood, Ga., won Best of Show with his 2015 Peterbilt 389 and 2018 Wally Mo 8 Car Hauler. Land Line Staff Writer Wendy Parker had some nice things to say about Turner and his family after last year’s SuperRigs. She also listed the rest of the 2018 winners.

There is no fee to enter a truck in the SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest. Contestants must hold a current CDL license and ensure that their vehicle is only operated by a driver who also has a CDL license.

Here are the official rules for the 2019 Shell Rotella SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest.

Register for the Shell Rotella SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest here.

The weekend is designed to be fun for the whole family.

A truck convoy to downtown Albert Lea is planned for Thursday afternoon, July 25. The best lights contest judging is scheduled for 8-10 p.m. Friday, July 26. A concert is scheduled to start at 8:45 p.m. on Friday.

Here is the 2019 SuperRigs schedule.
There is a smartphone app for the event.

In the app, you can:
View the schedule.
Register for the contest.
Vote on People’s Choice.
Submit your Most Hard-Working Survey answers.
Get the latest update and alerts.

From the app store of your choice, download “CrowdCompass AttendeeHub.” Then search for the event name, “2019 SuperRigs.”

After SuperRigs, Osburn plans to head a little over 500 miles southeast to Effingham, Ill. The Spirit will be at the Effingham Petro on July 29-31.

Whenever you see The Spirit tour truck, go say hello to Jon. He enjoys visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues. You also can join or renew your OOIDA membership for $10 off the regular price there. Also, you can get vouchers for flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccines from Jon at The Spirit.