The Truck Stops Here

Food offerings are a key differentiator, setting truck stops and travel centers apart from the competition and enticing drivers inside. More importantly, sales in food or snacks are significant profit drivers. A new study from NATSO Services found untapped potential for growing food and beverage sales from drivers who are already stopping. Most drivers taking the survey—81%—said they'd gone inside...

In this sponsored episode with Digit7 CEO Chithrai Mani, we explore the digital retail innovations available from Digit7. Discover how autonomous checkout at stores can increase sales and loyalty and how AI technology makes the shopping experience interactive. Learn about computer vision, next-generation frictionless self-checkout machines and even drone inventory. Tune in to hear from Digit7 how...

To help the nation's truck stop and travel center operators better understand fleets, drivers and their needs, NATSO Services launched a survey of company drivers, leased drivers, independent owner/operators and fleet owner drivers in 2022. For the 2023 edition, NATSO Services asked professional drivers how often they fuel, rest and shop at travel centers during their work week, what brings them i...

The past few years have been fraught with challenges for retailers, including travel centers, from supply chain disruptions to shifting customer demands to ongoing labor shortages. Technology is playing a vital role in helping companies meet those challenges head-on. Bethany Allee, head of marketing and education at PDI Technologies, joined the NATSO Foundation's podcast to talk about convenience...

Earlier in the year, Darren Schulte, vice president, membership at NATSO and Amy Toner, executive director of the NATSO Foundation, presented on trucking trends on truckstops at M-PACT. Schulte and Toner brought their trends information to the podcast, answering: What factor is most important when professional drivers choose a place to stop?; What trends are we seeing in food for professional driv...

The NATSO Foundation has formed a strategic partnership with HAAS Alert, the leading innovator behind the digital alerting service and connected vehicle platform, Safety Cloud®. Together, the organizations aim to significantly enhance the safety of roadside service technicians who support and repair commercial vehicles when they need to be serviced along the Interstate Highway System. Tom Parbs, t...

Have you ever wondered what it's like to visit a travel center in Ireland? This summer during NACS's International Study Tour, Darren Schulte, NATSO's vice president, membership, traveled to Ireland to get a unique look into best practices in the advanced European market. During the tour, Schulte saw not only what is different but also what is possible -- from curved fuel canopies to fresh food di...

In 2005, the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum established its Survivor Fund to provide immediate financial support to families of roadside operators who lose their lives. Jeffrey Godwin, vice president, International Towing Museum, joined the podcast to share about the program. Providing information on the fund is part of the NATSO Foundation's multi-faceted approach to ad...

This March, Peter Rasmussen, CEO and Founder, Convenience and Energy Advisors co-led the Travel Center Technology Forum at NATSO Connect 2023. We brought Rasmussen back onto the podcast to offer more of his deep knowledge on the top travel center technology priorities for improving customer experience and brand loyalty. Rasmussen has spent 23 years in the convenience and energy industry, where he...

In partnership with the Tire Industry Association (TIA), the NATSO Foundation now offers a Road Service Safety Training course. The NATSO Foundation has taken a multi-pronged approach to addressing critical issues involving truck repair provider safety. As part of its efforts, the NATSO Foundation has partnered with TIA to provide a Road Service Safety Training video that covers: - How to set up y...

After wowing the audience at NATSO Connect, Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey's Corporation, hopped behind the podcast desk to share more about creating and curating a unique brand-building experience. Stuckey dug into how travel center operators can differentiate themselves from their competitors. "Create the whole experience. That's what people are looking for! Whether you're a chain, or whether...

Nick Stanley, vice president of JJ's, joined the podcast from NATSO Connect to talk about the family-owned and operated convenience store and travel plaza JJ's, which is headquartered in Huntington, Indiana. Stanley oversees the back of the house operations. On the podcast, he shared about JJ's Excellence Card, community support and more. With special guest: Nick Stanley, Vice President, JJ's Trav...

Safety is a top priority for travel center technicians providing truck repair, whether it is in a shop or on the roadside, and the NATSO Foundation has taken a multi-pronged approach to addressing critical issues involving truck repair providers. As part of its efforts, the foundation transformed its booth at NATSO Connect, March 7-10, into a Roadside Safety Showcase. The showcase featured roadsid...

We snagged Delone Wilson, president at Cubby's Inc. and NATSO Leadership Committee member, at NATSO Connect to hear all about Cubby's Inc. Cubby's Inc. has been the operator of convenience stores in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota since 1979. Wilson shared about Cubby's work in the community, its world-famous food and their Bear Bucks loyalty program. With special guest: Delone Wilson, President,...

What is new and impacting travel centers in the retail technology space? What trends are popping for travel centers? What travel centers are killing the travel center game? Darren Schulte, vice president, membership at NATSO, stops by the podcast to share what he has been seeing and hearing in the truckstop and travel center world. With special guest: Darren Schulte, Vice President, Membership, NA...

NATSO Connect 2023 is scheduled to take place March 7-10, 2023 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in the Dallas Metropolitan Area. The annual meeting of truckstop and travel center operators, the event features hundreds of truckstop and travel center operators as well as industry partners coming together for face-to-face learning and networking to help them identify trends and maximiz...

More than $7.5 billion will be distributed by state transportation departments to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure along alternative fuel corridors under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. As truckstops and travel centers look to install EV chargers, they must understand how much energy the chargers consume. Tim Victor, who serves as the Proje...

Finding ways to cut down on the energy needed to run travel centers makes financial sense, and it also benefits the environment. What should every truckstop operator be doing to be more sustainable? Bernie Erickson, CMO/Director of Innovation at Facility Solutions Group, answers that question, bringing a wealth of sustainability knowledge to the podcast. Together with host Amy Toner, executive dir...

With the start of Human Trafficking awareness month, we welcome Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, vice president of public affairs for NATSO, on to the podcast to discuss the NATSO Foundation's 10 years of work in this important area. "No one could have predicted in 2013, when the NATSO Foundation signed a simple pledge to take a stand against human trafficking, that our promise would mature into the com...

This year the NATSO Foundation's Truck Repair and Roadside Safety ShareGroup received a special briefing from Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Director of Compliance and Enforcement Programs Jake Elovirta. Elovirta spoke about state Move Over Laws, their differences, what NATSO members need to know and how we can advance public awareness on roadside safety. We invited Elovirta onto NATSO'...

The truckstop and travel center industry is built on speed, and speed is a critical piece of any travel center's success. Increasingly, customers want to walk into stores and buy things on their own. Smart travel center owners are building AI-driven checkout-free technology into their new builds and exploring retrofits. Krishna Motukuri, CEO and co-founder of Zippin, joined NATSO's podcast to brea...

Meet NATSO's newest employee, Andrew Evans. Evans is a branding powerhouse with more than 15 years of experience developing strategies for global, billion-dollar brands like KONE and The University of Iowa. "I love everything marketing," Evans shared. With the recent growth in NATSO and the industry, Evans is the perfect person to market the complex program of work that the NATSO board of director...

Casey's General Stores Inc. continues to grow its commercial fuel business. In the past several years, this growth has included a focus on fuel cards. Tony Spuzello, director, commercial fuels, Casey's General Stores Inc. joined NATSO's podcast to share what they are doing to revamp and boost their commercial payment acceptance. Spuzello walks listeners through their business process for choosing...

What is the future of autonomous trucking? Has any alternative fuel pulled ahead of another in the heavy-duty space? How can truckstops and travel centers partner with fleets to help relieve the regulatory pressure of decarbonization? Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE and Ginger Laidlaw, vice president of NATSO's Alternative Fuels Council, take a deep dive these alternative fuels questions a...

The Biden Administration announced Sept. 27 that it has approved Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans for all 50 states and the District of Columbia under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. More than $7.5 billion will be distributed to state transportation departments to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure along alternative fuel corridors....