And they’re off… (or East bound and down)

OOIDA's Emily Tutorino and Dale Watkins

It seems very appropriate to give that sort of send-off to OOIDA’s flagship, "The Spirit of the American Trucker" as OOIDA’s Dale Watkins and Emily Tutorino head east for Louisville, KY, home of the Mid-America Trucking Show and some big horse race, too.

I can’t help but get a little bit envious, knowing that folks are already filtering into Kentucky and heading to what will be the trucking mecca over the next week. Dale and Emily are one lucky pair to be on their way already.

But, in the same breath, I’m laughing a little bit.

We have a little bit of a tradition around here at OOIDA of sharing (mostly made up and some true) stories about MATS with staffers going to the show for the first time. We concoct all sorts of initiation rituals – our own versions of cow-tipping and snipe-hunting pranks.

By the time it’s over, the “newbies” are so afraid and excited to go, they don’t know what to expect.

Now, Emily is a veteran MATS attendee. We can’t pull anything over on her. However, she is in the process of earning her chops as a road dog today. It’s her first “real” trip in a truck. She’ll be safe and sound as Dale is a longtime trucker who joined the office ranks here at OOIDA a few years ago. He runs The Spirit to different events for OOIDA.

That hasn’t stopped us from torturing Emily with anything from homemade porta potties to quizzing her about the 10-codes from the old CB days.

She took it all in stride, because no matter what we could do to her, she had the ace in the hole: She’s already on her way to MATS and we’re not. You can follow her adventure on Twitter if you like: http://twitter.com/TruckinTutorino

While I should be paying attention to my last-minute details and preparation, I can’t help but turn green with envy when I read all the stories on Facebook and Twitter of people already there.

Oh well, the Land Line and Land Line Now crews will cut a trail to Louisville tomorrow. Soon enough, we’ll be surrounded by our friends and members, spending three great days together at the granddaddy of all trucking shows.

See you there.