OOIDA’s tour trailer rolls into Columbia, S.C.

On Monday, look for OOIDA’s tour trailer in Columbia, S.C., the state’s capital.

The Spirit of the American Trucker is scheduled to be at the Columbia Petro from Monday through Wednesday, Nov 9-11.

The Columbia Petro is off I-77 at Bluff Road, Exit 5. There are 134 parking spots for big trucks there plus a Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant, which is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Near the Columbia Petro is a Love’s travel stop plus a Tyson Foods facility and a couple of steel companies, Owen Steel Co. and Chatham Steel.

This Petro is one of the newest in the system, says Jon Osburn, skipper of The Spirit. Not only is it a full service truck stop, but there is also a bowling alley there, Beltline Lanes.

“A full-service truck-stop and bowling alley! Who would have ever have thought?” Osburn said.

I-74 through Columbia is called the William Earle Berne Beltway. The honoree served three four-year terms as a member of the South Carolina State Highways and Public Transportation Commission and then three more terms as chairman. In 1980, the beltway was named for him and he was named honorary chairman for life, according to info at the Historical Marker Database.

Word from the road

Some drivers had some glowing praise for OOIDA’s commentary on Tesla’s Full-Driving System, Osburn said.

OOIDA sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to explain that using highways as a test track for unfinished and unproven technology was dangerous. And calling the system “Full-Self Driving” was misleading and inaccurate.

“We are dismayed with the Administration’s lack of oversight of automated driving technologies currently deployed on public roadways that jeopardize truckers’ safety,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer states in the letter.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see OOIDA’s tour trailer, stop by and say hello to Osburn. He enjoys visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues. He usually has copies of Land Line Magazine to hand out. You can join or renew your OOIDA membership for $10 off the regular price there. Free face masks are available for anyone with a commercial driver’s license at The Spirit. You also can get forms for uninsured drivers to get flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccine vouchers at The Spirit.

After Columbia, OOIDA’s tour trailer is scheduled to stop Nov. 13-15 at Bucksville, Ala.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL