The OOIDA tour trailer is in Florida’s Panhandle

Marty Ellis is visiting Florida with the OOIDA tour trailer.

Ellis plans to make two stops in Florida with the Spirit of the American Trucker tour trailer. First up on the schedule is April 25-26 at the TA Travel Center in Marianna.

The Marianna TA is at Exit 142 from I-10. There is parking for 194 tractor-trailers there. There is Pizza Hut, Popeyes and Taco Bell fast food available there plus grab-and-go food.

Marianna is in the Florida Panhandle about 65 miles west of Tallahassee.

Advent of electric trucks

Ellis regularly talks on Land Line Now Friday broadcasts about what he’s heard from truckers stopping at the OOIDA tour trailer.

The topic of many discussions of late has been strict emission standards for big trucks and the push toward electric trucks. They might be the next Big Idea vision for the country, Ellis said on Friday’s broadcast, and batteries are getting better, but the tech isn’t there yet. On top of that, the power grid isn’t ready either, which is obvious when you think about blackouts and brownouts that happen in California and elsewhere.

Ellis added that governments should consider incentives instead of ultimatums to get the industry to evolve toward electric trucks.

“As far as I know, there wasn’t an ultimatum when we went from horses to cars,” Ellis said.

Listen to Friday’s broadcast here.

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Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see the OOIDA 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 with the OOIDA 50th anniversary promotion of two years for $50. That’s a $40 savings. You can use the promotion as many times as you like.

After Marianna, Ellis plans to spend a couple of days, April 28-29, in Wildwood, Fla.

Find upcoming Spirit stops here. LL