OOIDA on the Road – February 2022

Marty Ellis plans to pull the OOIDA tour trailer through Southeast U.S. this spring, looking for truck drivers who want to discuss issues and let OOIDA know what they’re seeing on the road.

Before signing on to tour the country pulling the Spirit of the American Trucker behind, Ellis said he had felt he was fairly well informed on issues. Since joining the Association, he has learned he wasn’t nearly as well informed as he could have been.

“I had been active and encouraged others to do the same, but it wasn’t real consistent,” Ellis said.

He has learned how important it is to not only to belong to a group like OOIDA but also to be involved as much as possible and talking with elected officials and sending comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

“I do feel blessed to be working with such knowledgeable people who really care about the truck drivers and look for ways to help them whenever possible,” he said.

Driving The Spirit around the country has given him the opportunity to talk with a diverse group of people that look at things differently than he does, and that has been positive, he said.

“Sometimes we get our own group of people that we surround ourselves with that more or less think the same way, so you don’t always get the different perspectives,” Ellis said.

Waiting for drivers to show up to talk is a challenge, he said, but there is always something to do, like fixing something or cleaning.

Look for Ellis and The Spirit to be avoiding snow and wintry weather in late February and March by traveling in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. LL