With new Citizen Drivers to salute, The Spirit heads to Walcott, Iowa

A new class of outstanding truck drivers is scheduled to be honored in Walcott, Iowa, and Jon Osburn, skipper of OOIDA’s Spirit of the American Trucker, plans to be there.

The 2018 Citizen Drivers will be recognized at a ceremony scheduled for May 8 at 6 p.m. in the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum at the Iowa 80 TA truck stop in Walcott.

Jon and The Spirit are scheduled to be at the truck stop on May 7-8. The truck stop is off I-80 at Exit 284.

The TA & Petro Citizen Driver program recognizes drivers who earn public respect for the trucking industry through good citizenship, safety, community involvement, health and wellness, and leadership. As part of the honor, a TA or Petro location is named after each of the recipients.

This is the fifth year of the Citizen Driver program, and so far, 26 of the nation’s most distinguished truck drivers have won a Citizen Driver award.

Osburn, who has held a commercial driver’s license for 30 years, received a Citizen Driver award in 2016. The TA in Boise, Idaho, was renamed the J.D. “Doc” Osburn Travel Center in his honor.

OOIDA Board Member Dick Pingel of Plover, Wis., was a 2017 honoree. He also is member of the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association.

When he leaves Walcott, Jon plans to take The Spirit to Texas.

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.