OOIDA’s tour trailer stops across the Delaware from Philly
OOIDA’s tour trailer is scheduled to be at the Paulsboro, N.J., TA Travel Center on Oct. 23-25. It is at the Mount Royal exit from I-295. That is Exit 18A.
The Paulsboro TA has 175 parking spots for tractor-trailers. The full-service Country Pride restaurant there is temporarily closed, according to the website. However, not far down the road the Iron Skillet at the Bordentown, N.J., Petro is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is a different county with different rules, says Jon Osburn, skipper of the Spirit of the American Trucker.
Paulsboro is across the Delaware River from Philadelphia
To get to Paulsboro from Carlisle, Pa., Osburn will cross the Commodore Barry Bridge. It is one of four toll bridges connecting the metropolitan Philadelphia region with southern New Jersey owned by the Delaware River Port Authority. The other three are the Betsy Ross Bridge, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and the Walt Whitman Bridge.
The bridge is named for Commodore John Barry, who was born in Ireland but came to Philadelphia, where he fought in the American Navy. He was the first to capture a British war vessel on the high seas, USHistory.org tells us, and was considered along with John Paul Jones to be one of the fathers of the U.S. Navy.
Word from the road
A few OOIDA members shared some complaints with Osburn about the face masks required at so many places. Actually, the complaint wasn’t about the masks but what happens to them when they are discarded.
The members were saying there should be some special waste receptacles or hazmat containers for disposable paper masks. Instead, the masks are littering the ground and getting blown around truck stops, shopping centers and rest areas.
Some other drivers have discussed concerns about more protests and possibly violence on interstate highways, especially as the fall election approaches.
Osburn says, like he was telling drivers over the summer, that a little more planning might be in order for drivers, because no one wants to be a target.
“Be aware of where your route is taking you. Make sure your parking area is safe and secures,” Osburn said. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Also, a couple of drivers mentioned picking up trailers that were already loaded, but not loaded properly. That caused problems because the weight wasn’t distributed correctly and the drivers were overweight on an axle. That meant they had to go back to have it re-loaded, properly this time.
And all of those drivers’ time was gratis.
“That’s just not right. They should be paid for that downtime. It wasn’t their fault,” Osburn said.
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 to 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 Paulsboro, OOIDA’s tour trailer is scheduled to stop in Jessup, Md.
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