The OOIDA tour trailer heads to Remington, Ind.

For its second stop in Indiana this spring, the OOIDA tour trailer closes in on the greater Chicago metro area with a stop in Remington.

The OOIDA tour trailer is scheduled April 6-8 to be at the Petro in Remington. That is Exit 201 from I-65. Remington is about halfway between Chicago and Indianapolis.

The Remington Petro has parking for 150 trucks. The Iron Skillet dining room is open for business.

Fuel prices are top of mind

At recent stops in Gaston, Ind., and at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., drivers have been talking about the pinch of rising diesel prices, Ellis said. He talked about what he’s heard on Friday’s Land Line Now broadcast.

Rates, if everything is included, or fuel surcharges aren’t keeping pace with the cost of diesel, he said drivers have been telling him. There are no guarantees that a driver gets the money to fuel up the truck, he said.

“We don’t have any rules regarding how much they should get,” Ellis said. “We can tell them how much they should be getting, but there’s no rule, regulation, law saying anybody has to give it.”

If a driver is running on a load board or with a broker, he or she needs to know what they need to cover expenses and hold to it, Marty said. Negotiate if you have to.

“You don’t always have to take that first number that’s thrown out. You can counteroffer. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Ellis said. “And a lot of the guys don’t think they can do that, and they really need to work at some of their negotiation skills.”

Listen to Land Line Now

 Look who stopped by

One OOIDA member who stopped by to visit with Ellis at the OOIDA tour trailer in Gaston was Don Talley, the professional truck driver to whom the Gaston Petro is dedicated.

Talley was named at TA & Petro Citizen Driver in 2021. The Citizen Driver award recognizes professional truck drivers who earn respect for the industry through good citizenship, community involvement and leadership. Recognition that comes with being named a Citizen Driver includes having a TA or Petro truck stop dedicated in the honoree’s name.

Talley is a U.S. Army veteran who has driven professionally for more than 20 years and has logged more than 2 million crash-free miles. Both he and his 2021 Citizen Driver compatriot stopped by the trailer in Glendale.

Ellis himself was named a Citizen Driver in 2017, and his predecessor behind the wheel of the OOIDA tour truck, Jon Osburn, was named a Citizen Driver in 2016.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see OOIDA’s tour trailer, stop by and say hello. Ellis looks 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 at The Spirit. Face masks are available at The Spirit for anyone with a commercial driver’s license.

After Remington, Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer are scheduled to be April 10-13 in Rochelle, Ill., and then at the OOIDA spring Board of Directors meeting in Grain Valley, Mo.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL