On Sept. 16–17, 2015, more than 30 travel plaza and truckstop operators and NATSO Chairman’s Circle members came together in Omaha, Nebraska, for NATSO’s 2015 Domestic Study Tours. The two-day workshop provided NATSO members with an opportunity to tour best-in-class retail locations, gather ideas during presentations by successful truckstop operators, and network with other operators in attendance. September’s attendees toured and learned from Sapp Bros. Travel Center locations, Shoemaker’s Travel Plaza and Boss Shops truck service centers.
As the editor of Stop Watch, I attended the tour to gather the locations’ best ideas to share with Stop Watch readers. The second day of tour was spent at Shoemaker’s Travel Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Situated an hour Southeast of Omaha, Nebraska, Shoemaker’s Travel Center has all the ordinary truckstop profit centers—restaurant, store, fuel/gas and truck repair shop—but they are far from ordinary. In fact, they have become a tourist attraction for Lincoln.
During the study tour, owner Dave Shoemaker shared what makes them unique. From the Highway 6 branding seen throughout the truckstop to their low-flow toilets, their strong branding makes a big impact on the customer experience. Count the ways with me.
- Gas Station Pump Memorabilia.
“We really enjoy making our truckstop unique,” Shoemaker said. And unique it is with an extensive collection of gas station pump memorabilia. They have vintage gas station pumps and globes throughout the truckstop as well as several vintage trucks on the property. These items are beautifully and carefully displayed. - 200-Foot Mural.
The store is also wrapped in a 200-foot mural that represents 3,652 miles of America via scenes from along Historic U.S. Route 6. It took the artist two months to hand paint the 200-foot mural and it truly is beautiful. (Be sure to visit instagram/NATSOInc to see a short video of the mural). - Off-The-Wall Stuff.
They also believe in making the store unique by carrying off-the-wall stuff. He credits this to his store manager Sharon Herrell who, he said, “buys unique items and merchandises the stock well.” Shoemaker’s works with local companies to carry some weird stuff but makes sure it can be priced competitively. “Our policy is if we can’t sell it cheaper than you can buy it at Walmart, don’t sell it,” shared Shoemaker. He added that Herrell really pays attention to how things look. - Cater To Repeat Customers.
Shoemaker’s believes in creating an experience that makes people want to come back. To do this, they make sure they have a nice well-lit facility with two sets of huge, clean bathrooms. “We have 39 toilet paper dispensers,” Shoemaker said. They ensure the bathrooms are clean by detail cleaning them every day using an Ecolab caddy. - LEED Certification.
The truckstop moved to its current location six years ago after losing the lease across the street. When rebuilding, with a nudge from the mayor, they took the opportunity to become LEED certified. While this makes good business sense, it is also sends a strong brand message that they care about the environment and their customers. They added big windows and light sensors. “In our store, if it is bright enough outside, the lights will partially shut off,” Shoemaker said. The location also has low-flow toilets (learn more about how NATSO members are conserving water on page 22), the heating system is all green and the roof is white. (Be sure to revisit the Stop Watch article on energy efficiency to learn more about how to cut usage at https://www.natso.comenergy-efficiency). - Loading Dock.
They have a loading dock in the back of their truckstop that allows vendors to easily unload their products. “Vendors can come in from the back rather than clog up the front of the store and it is centrally located so all vendors can get where they need,” he said. Not only is it easier for vendors, it also reinforces their brand image as a destination rather than a congested warehouse. - Polished Concrete Floor.
Lastly, their brand promise of carrying off-the-wall items is more easily achieved by having polished concrete floors. “If we want to do a sale, vendors and staff can easily wheel out pallets,” Shoemaker said. In addition to being easier, it also diminished the opportunity for workers’ compensation issues.
What’s Next?
First Wawa and Speedway after The NATSO Show and then Lee Hi Travel Plaza
and White’s Travel Plaza in Lexington, Virginia, Sept. 14–15, 2016. Visit www.natso.com/domesticstudytour for more information.
Photo Credit: Jules Clifford/NATSO
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