The OOIDA tour trailer stops in Hurricane, W. Va.

June 24, 2022

Chuck Robinson

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Despite the name of the next stop – Hurricane, W. Va. – Marty Ellis hopes to avoid any huge blow-outs when he takes the OOIDA tour trailer there.

Ellis plans to park the Spirit of the American Trucker trailer on June 25-26 at the Hurricane TA truck stop at I-64 and state Route 34, Exit 39 from the interstate.

There is parking for 198 tractor-trailers at the Hurricane TA.

The Country Pride restaurant at the Hurricane TA is labeled “permanently closed” on Google Maps. However, fast-food restaurants McDonald’s and Five Guys are adjacent to the parking lot, and El Rancho Grande Mexican restaurant is a few steps further away. FireSide Grille is across Route 34.

The name of the city is curious since West Virginia is landlocked, so there are no hurricanes striking there. City historians say the city was named after a creek, which was named for some bent trees by surveyors commissioned by George Washington.

Also, apparently locals can identify people not from the area by the way the name of the community is pronounced. According to how Mayor Scott Edwards pronounces the name in this video, locals pronounce the name “hurr-ih-kinn” and not “hurr-ih-kane.”

About 20 miles southeast of Hurricane is a post office named Tornado, W. Va.

Diesel prices are on everyone’s mind

It’s impossible for diesel prices to not be top of mind for truck drivers. Nationally, diesel is costing on average just under $6 per gallon. Regionally, according to ProMiles.com, average increases range up to 10.2 cents per gallon this week compared to last for the West Coast without California, 9.9 cents in the Midwest, and 9 cents for the whole West Coast.

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 for $10 off the regular price at The Spirit. Face masks are available at The Spirit for anyone with a commercial driver’s license.

Ellis regularly discusses what he sees on the road and hears from drivers on Friday Land Line Now broadcasts.

After Hurricane, Ellis and the OOIDA tour trailer are scheduled to stop at Mount Vernon, Ill., and Matthews, Mo., after that.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL