OOIDA’s Spirit heads east to Lafayette, La.

OOIDA’s Spirit of the American Trucker tour truck is headed to the TA truck stop in Lafayette, La.

The Lafayette TA is at I-10 and state Route 182, Exit 101.

Jon Osburn, skipper of The Spirit, is scheduled to be at the Lafayette, La., TA from March 6-8 and then spend the weekend at the Petro in Hammond, La.

The Spirit just left Beaumont, Texas, where Jon said dozens of member drivers were agitated about hours-of-service regulations. Jon says he tells them that OOIDA has petitioned the U.S. DOT and FMCSA chiefs to reform hours-of-service regulations.

As mentioned in OOIDA’s petition, hours of service regulations “force drivers to be on the road when they are tired or fatigued, during busy travel times and adverse weather and road conditions, or when they simply aren’t feeling well. In short, the current HOS regulations force truckers to comply with a regulatory framework that jeopardizes their safety and the safety of the traveling public.”

Besides HOS, parking was top of mind for many truckers in Beaumont. Quite a bit of the parking at the TA truck stop was reserved parking, and some truckers hadn’t reserved a spot.

Another issue rankling drivers was I-10 getting closed for accidents.

One of the events bringing that issue top of mind was a pair of March 1 accidents that closed Interstate10 eastbound about 3½ miles east of the Texas state line. One crash involved a FedEx double-bottom tractor-trailer and a UPS semi-trailer. The other involved two four-wheelers.

Take time to stop and visit with Jon about the Association’s activities and current issues. You can also join or renew your OOIDA membership for $10 off the regular price. Also, you can get vouchers for flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccines from Jon at The Spirit.