OOIDA on the Road – October 2024

For Marty Ellis, the driver for OOIDA’s tour truck, it was another busy summer. He drove the Spirit across the United States to spread OOIDA’s message and to advocate for the rights of all truck drivers.

The stops along the way provide Marty a chance to inform members about the latest news from Congress and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to meet up with some old friends and to make some new ones.

Here are a few OOIDA members who stopped by the Spirit over the summer:

Jim Cancel, a senior member from Warwick, N.Y., pulls a Conestoga trailer, hauling mostly pipe, metal or wood. Pictured with his girlfriend, Mary, Jim said he appreciates everything OOIDA does to advocate for truckers as well as the services it offers. He’s also a fan of Land Line Now.

Bill McDonald, a life member from Waterford, Wis., started trucking when he was 18 years old. He retired about six years ago after 50 years as a trucker. He and his wife, Diane, stopped by the Spirit to give Marty a few copies of Land Line Magazine from 1979.

Kenneth Osborne, a member from Pittsfield, N.H., is a fourth-generation truck driver. He owns a 2017 Peterbilt with a 600 Cummins and an 18-speed transmission. He pulls open deck.

Max Keough, a life member from Logan, Utah, runs a 2011 Volvo 780 and pulls refrigerated freight. He came to the United States from Australia in 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in 2011.

John Taylor, a life member from Cross Junction, Va., previously served on the OOIDA Board of Directors. He is pictured with his son, James “Jett” Taylor. LL