OOIDA’s tour trailer stops in North Little Rock, Ark.

OOIDA’s tour trailer heads to North Little Rock, Ark., for a couple of days. While there is construction in the area, skipper Jon Osburn should glide north of the biggest part of it.

The Spirit of the American Trucker is scheduled to be at the North Little Rock Petro on Nov. 17-18. It is at Exit 161 from I-40.

The North Little Rock Petro has 250 parking spots for tractor-trailers, and the Iron Skillet dining room is open7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Petro is dedicated to OOIDA life member Idella M. Hansen, a 2017 Citizen Driver honoree. TA & Petro select exceptional drivers for the honor who exhibit strong citizenship and community involvement.

The North Little Rock Petro on I-40 is east of the just-started construction on I-30 in downtown Little Rock. That project, called 30 Crossing, is the largest taken on by the Arkansas Department of Transportation. It includes a new bridge over the Arkansas River and widening of the highway to 10 lanes. The Arkansas Department of Transportation warns of lane closures in the area.

Recently, however, the Arkansas Supreme Court knocked key funding out from under the project by ruling the state could not use a sales tax dedicated to four-lane highways for this project. Land Line State Legislative Editor Keith Goble reported the details.

Catch up on news from the state of Arkansas here, or pick a state for news updates here.

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 North Little Rock, OOIDA’s tour trailer is scheduled to stop for the weekend, Nov. 21-23, in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL