The new skipper of OOIDA’s tour trailer heads to California, Mo.

Marty Ellis, the new skipper of OOIDA’s tour trailer, heads to his first stop and his first truck show at the helm of the Spirit of the American Trucker.

The Spirit is scheduled to be at the Crossroads Truck Meet on Saturday, April 17, in California, Mo. It is at the Crossroads Shopping Plaza at the junction of Highway 50 and Route 87.

The Crossroads Truck Meet is the first of what organizers hope will be an annual event. On Saturday, hours at 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. The truck show is scheduled to go to 4 p.m. A worship service and free lunch is planned on Sunday.

Event organizers, according to the Facebook page, are Delton Rissler, owner at Diesel Power Plus, and Kyrell Rissler.

Here is a poster on Facebook for the event.

Before taking the wheel of the Spirit of the American Trucker, OOIDA’s tour trailer, Ellis was a company driver for 27 years. He was named a TA & Petro Citizen Driver in 2017.

The Citizen Driver program recognizes professional commercial drivers who earn respect for the trucking industry through good citizenship and leadership. As part of the Citizen Driver recognition, there is a TA in Rogers, Minn., dedicated to Ellis.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see OOIDA’s tour trailer, stop by and say hello. Ellis is looking 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 there. Face masks are available for anyone with a commercial driver’s license at The Spirit. Also, Drivers without medical insurance can get vouchers to get flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccines.

After California, The Spirit is scheduled to stop April 19-20 in Mount Vernon, Mo., and April 22-24 in Foristell, Mo.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL