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RVers are Hitting the Road, Travel Centers are Ready

RVers are Hitting the Road, Travel Centers are Ready

The recreational vehicle industry has been experiencing nearly 45 years of long-term growth but saw a spike in traffic due to the pandemic, creating an opportunity for travel centers to serve them. “RV customers are an untapped potential. Oftentimes, these customers are retirees with extra time and more disposable income. They purchase a large number of gallons and are an opportunity for additional general merchandise and food sales,” Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president, membership, said. More

Food Offerings Are a Key Differentiator for Travel Centers in 2024

Food Offerings Are a Key Differentiator for Travel Centers in 2024

Food offerings are a key differentiator that can make truck stops and travel centers standout from the competition and bring drivers inside. Jessica Williams, CEO of Food Forward Thinking, said professional drivers get tired of the same old thing, and she is seeing more and more locations add non-traditional quick-service and fast-casual franchises and licenses to help their businesses stand out. More

Attract Customers, Give Direction with the Right Mix of Signs for Your Travel Center

Attract Customers, Give Direction with the Right Mix of Signs for Your Travel Center

Outdoor signage at truck stops and travel centers can enhance the customer experience, provide direction, convey essential information, and build the company's brand. More

Joint Employer Standard Struck Down as Independent Contractor Rule Takes Effect

A federal judge has struck down the Biden Administration's new, broader “joint employer” definition as the new standard for independent contractors takes effect.  More

NATSO Announces 2024 Board of Directors

NATSO, representing truck stops and travel centers, is proud to announce the installation of its new slate of officers following its 2024 spring Board of Directors meeting. More

Biden Administration Unveils Strategy for Locating Heavy-Duty EV Charging Stations

The Biden Administration on March 12 released its National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, a plan for the deployment of heavy-duty electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure along freight corridors. The Administration is expected as soon as next week to release EPA’s final heavy-duty vehicle emission standards.  More

NATSO, SIGMA Statement on National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy

NATSO, representing truck stops and travel plazas, and SIGMA: America’s leading fuel marketers, issued the following statement today in response to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation’s National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, which aims to align investments and deployment of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure along national freight corridors.  More

Professional Driver Demographics are Shifting

Professional Driver Demographics are Shifting

The NATSO Foundation identified eight key trends expected to shape the truck stop and travel center industry in 2024. A trend with a big impact on the travel center industry is the demographic of professional drivers.  Trucking companies are tapping into underrepresented pools of candidates to help attract new entrants to the industry. These include younger drivers, women and minorities. Truck driver demographics are important because they influence the products and services drivers need. More

NATSO Foundation Creates a Travel Center and Truck Stop New Build Toolkit

NATSO Foundation Creates a Travel Center and Truck Stop New Build Toolkit

The truck stop and travel center industry is unique, which means travel centers need unique guidance when planning a new build. The NATSO Foundation has created a toolkit to help travel center operators develop new locations. Chapters include Initial Planning Considerations, Deciding on Your Architecture and Design, and Creating Your Convenience Store. More

Fuel Retailers Urge EPA to Issue Summertime Waiver for E15

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The RoboBurger equipment is a fully autonomous robotic burger chef in a vending machine.
TravelCenters of America recently opened a new TA Express Travel Center near Statesboro, Georgia.
The initial grant distribution will prioritize funding for EV charging infrastructure at off-highway and off-Interstate locations.
The Charge Ahead Partnership is a coalition of individuals and businesses united in the idea that the best way to expand the electric vehicle charging network is through a competitive, market-based approach.
NATSO members should contact their state transportation departments promptly to learn about their electric vehicle charging plans and to share our industry's perspective on the plans' development.
It is incumbent upon fuel retailers to urge state DOTs to structure projects in a “make-ready” model that allows utilities to invest in the grid and distribution enhancements necessary to feed charging stations while a competitive, private market governs the consumer-facing charging transaction.