Trucking History – March/April 2026
April 1998
Less than one year after breaking ground, OOIDA staff moves into a new three-story building in Grain Valley, Mo., with 87 employees. Just eight years earlier, the staff of more than a dozen OOIDA and Land Line employees required additional office space. The Association purchased the building where it had previously rented offices, taking full ownership less than a decade later.
At this time, OOIDA membership was 39,000.
April 24, 2008
Trucker, an independent movie, was released by Plum Pictures. The story centers around personal issues encountered by a long-haul truck driver played by Michelle Monaghan. The film was shot across Southern California, including the Coachella Valley. Monaghan earned her commercial driver’s license for the role. Footage of her driving the truck was authentic. The budget was reportedly under $1.5 million for the movie that film critic Roger Ebert chose as one of his top 10 independent films of 2009.
March 2014
Western Star turns over the keys of a custom truck to OOIDA Spirit Tour Truck driver Jon Osburn. The new truck hits the road that same month, with a unique paint job.
In 2021, Osburn handed the keys to Marty Ellis, who remains behind the wheel of The Spirit.
“I have been a proud member for a long time before coming to work for the Association, and now as part of the OOIDA team, I am very proud and humbled to be a small part of such a great association,” Ellis said. “I often wonder how I could have gotten so lucky to work with some awesome people and to serve a great group of members.”
The more members in the Association, the stronger the voice is, Ellis added.
March 2023
Fleet One and the OOIDA announced the “Truckers Advantage” program at MATS in Louisville, KY, to address the needs of small-business truckers and small-fleet owners. Currently, the Truckers Advantage card offers fuel discounts at more than 8,000 locations and nationwide acceptance, including over 13,000 fuel and maintenance sites. Pilot Flying J, TravelCenters of America/Petro, Sapp Bros and 7Fleet are among the discount participants.
Other benefits include zero monthly fees, low fees for out-of-network fuel purchases, cash services and Canadian acceptance.
Learn more about the Truckers Advantage fuel program by contacting Fuel_Card@OOIDA.com
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