OOIDA tour trailer stops in Seymour, Ind.

Marty Ellis has hauled the OOIDA tour trailer to Seymour, Ind.

Ellis and the Spirit of the American Trucker are scheduled April 4-5 to be at the Seymour TA Travel Center. It is at the junction of I-65 and state Route 50. That is Exit 50 from the interstate highway.

Seymour is just about 60 miles north of Louisville, Ky., where Ellis and several others from OOIDA, Land Line and Land Line Now spent the weekend taking part in the Mid-America Trucking Show.

Attendees may have sat in on the FMCSA listening session on Friday, when the broker transparency issue took center stage. OOIDA also kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration at MATS, and three people were inducted to the MATS Wall of Fame: OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh, OOIDA life member Candy Bass and the late Troy Huddleston.

Bass also was named the 2023 Driver of the Year by the Women in Trucking Association at MATS. She also was presented with the Golden Achievement Award on behalf of the American Truck Historical Society.

Ellis said he had good-sized crowds most of the time around the OOIDA tour trailer, though there was some rain that interfered with the truck show. Ellis was parked in Lot J behind the West Wing, where the PKY Truck Beauty Championship was presented.

Here are some photos OOIDA staffers snapped at MATS 2023.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see the OOIDA 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 with the OOIDA 50th anniversary promotion of two years for $50. That’s a $40 savings. You can also use the promotion as many times as you like.

After Seymour, Ellis plans to head to Bloomington, Ill., staying April 7-9 at the TA there, and then head to the Petro in Effingham, Ill., on April 11-12. On April 14-15, he plans to join the fun at the Swamp East Missouri Truck Show & Convoy on April 14-15 in Sikeston, Mo.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL