The Spirit heads to Fargo, N.D., a city proud of its eccentricities

August 22, 2018

Chuck Robinson

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The Spirit heads northwest on I-94 from Clearwater, Minn., to Fargo, N.D., for its next stop.

OOIDA’s touring tractor-trailer is scheduled to be at the Fargo Petro on Aug. 23-25. It is at Exit 348, just west of the junction of I-94 and I-29.

Besides the Iron Skillet Restaurant at the Petro Travel Center, pretty close by is a Space Aliens Grill and Bar, where the ribs and pizza are recommended in on-line reviews, and the HuHot Mongolian Grill, where the food is plentiful. Even though it is only a couple of blocks, it might be nice to have a bicycle to get there. A golf cart, like you can find at many truck shows, would be nice.

Fargo is “north of normal,” according to the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and they seem proud of the distinction. They have a video promoting the area’s distinctiveness, saying it is “a hub of innovation” and full of “wonderful eccentricities.”

Speaking of eccentricities, if you’re a fan of the 1996 Coen brothers film “Fargo,” you can see the wood chipper used in the movie at the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center. That is just on the other side of 45th Street from the Petro truck stop, at 2001 44th St. S.

At the last stop, in Clearwater, Minn., Jon Osburn, skipper of the Spirit of the American Trucker, said drivers were in a good mood. They seem heartened by Tuesday’s announcement that OOIDA’s petition for hours-of-service reform has pushed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to get to work on HOS reform.

“The agency is finally listening and now the door is open for truckers to make their voices heard and to spur real, common-sense changes to the hours-of-service regulation,” says OOIDA President Todd Spencer.

Whenever you see The Spirit tour truck, go say hello to Jon. He enjoys visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues. You also can join or renew your OOIDA membership for $10 off the regular price there. Also, you can get vouchers for flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccines from Jon at The Spirit.