OOIDA tour trailer stops in Vero Beach, Fla.

The OOIDA tour trailer is in Florida, but it might not matter where in the country it was – the most-talked-about topic among drivers is the rising cost of diesel.

Marty Ellis and the Spirit of the American Trucker tour trailer are scheduled March 10-12 to be at the Vero Beach TA. That is at the junction of I-95 and Route 60, Exit 147 from the interstate.

TA Vero Beach has parking for 162 tractor-trailers. The Country Pride sit-down restaurant there is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If the wind blows right, Ellis should be able to smell the ocean at the Vero Beach TA. The truck stop is about 10 miles from the Atlantic coast.

After Vero Beach, Ellis plans to head to Atlanta to be part of the Safety Drive for a Cure fundraiser and truck-driving championship event on Saturday, March 12.

You know what drivers art talking about

One topic has dominated the conversation around the OOIDA tour trailer this week, and that is the startling jump in diesel prices at the pump.

On Monday, Land Line reported data from ProMiles.com showing a week-on-week increase of 25 cents per gallon on average for the U.S., and as much as 27.7 cents per gallon on average in New England. The federal report from the Energy Information Administration shows the average price for the nation to be 74.5 cents higher than last week. There were eight weeks of much smaller increases leading up to Monday’s shocker.

The steep increase in the cost of diesel means that many drivers are getting squeezed by fuel surcharges that aren’t keeping pace.

“Most people, if they are getting fuel surcharges at all, they are going up only once a week,” Ellis reported.

OOIDA provides members with a fuel surcharge calculator on OOIDA.com. It helps an operator know the rate they need to move their truck.

Join the conversation on Land Line Now

Ellis regularly talks with Host Mark Reddig on Land Line Now’s Friday broadcast. Last Friday they discussed how a lot of truck drivers have had enough of the COVID-19 pandemicm and they talked about ideas like a “gas tax holiday.” Give it a listen.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see OOIDA’s 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 for $10 off the regular price at The Spirit. Face masks are available at The Spirit for anyone with a commercial driver’s license.

After Vero Beach and then the Safety Drive for a Cure event in Atlanta, Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer are scheduled to hit Nashville, Tenn.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL