Sohail Butt, Principal and CFO of University Korner, and his partners are building a cutting-edge truck stop on the I-80 corridor of Pennsylvania. The truck stop, expected to open at the end of 2024, will be a very forward-thinking, inclusive travel center heavily focused on professional driver well-being.
Amy Toner
Amy Toner is the Executive Director of the NATSO Foundation. In this capacity, Toner spearheads the Foundation’s education, research and outreach activities. Toner serves as Editor of Stop Watch magazine, spearheads education and speaker selection for NATSO live events and hosts NATSO’s Podcast, The Truck Stops Here. She sets the knowledge strategy, education.
NATSO Foundation Brings 5k Fundraiser to NATSO Connect 2025
Pack your running shoes for NATSO Connect 2025! The NATSO Foundation is bringing back a 5K as the yearly fundraiser. The NATSO Foundation Fun Run will be Thursday, February 25.
On the Road with NATSO: A 1500-Mile Journey with a Professional Truck Driver
This episode of The Truck Stops Here podcast features a candid discussion with Lisa Mullings, President & CEO of NATSO, on her week-long ride-along trip with Jennifer Evans, a Werner truck driver.
Mullings reveals insightful details about Jennifer’s routine, safety checks, traffic challenges, and how she keeps fit on the road. She also discusses the crucial role of customer service in travel centers and the importance of safe, legal parking for drivers.
Join Us at Fast Forward Focus 2024
Next month, NATSO and the NATSO Foundation’s leadership event, Fast Forward Focus, will be held Oct. 29 – 30, 2024 at the Grand Hyatt DFW in Dallas, Texas.
NATSO’s Fast Forward Focus is designed to help highway fuel retailers gain insight into how trends are likely to affect their operating environment. At Fast Forward Focus, it is always the interaction among outstanding peers around the room that turns expert information into actionable insights. I hope you will consider joining us this year.
We have a terrific lineup of speakers with insights to help travel centers grow their businesses and prepare for what’s ahead planned.
Meet Greg Priddy, Featured Speaker at Fast Forward Focus
Greg Priddy, a senior fellow for the Middle East at the Center for the National Interest, is an expert on political risk and global energy markets. He will also be a speaker at the Fast Forward Focus, NATSO and the NATSO Foundation’s fall meeting, October 29-30 at the Grand Hyatt DFW.
During an executive briefing, Priddy will share an outlook for petroleum supply, addressing key issues related to political instability, conflicts, and sanctions in major oil-producing regions that can disrupt supply chains and lead to uncertainty in the oil market.
Priddy’s work in energy started with him serving as a contractor for the U.S. Energy Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1999 to 2006. His work centered on analysis of oil market disruption scenarios, including some of the U.S. government’s scenario planning after 9/11 and in the run-up to the Iraq War in 2003.
Bowlin Travel Centers Boasts Hospitality and Unique Finds
Valkyrie Musara, COO and executive vice president of Bowlin Travel Centers, joins the podcast to share Bowlin’s fascinating history, merchandising strategy, and how they create an immersive “treasure hunt” experience that keeps customers exploring their stores.
Dial Into Loyalty for Professional Drivers
Peter Rasmussen, founder and CEO of Convenience and Energy Advisors, joins the podcast to share the key components of successful loyalty programs including how to tailor rewards for professional drivers.
Rasmussen and host Amy Toner also explore:
– The role of AI in enhancing the customer experience and driving targeted offers:
– How small operators should tackle loyalty; and
– What to consider when choosing a loyalty provider.
RaceTrac is Making Major Moves
During a recent episode of the Truck Stops Here podcast Nick LaFalce, RaceTrac’s marketing manager sat down with Amy Toner, executive director of the NATSO Foundation, and Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president of membership, to share more about how RaceTrac is expanding its reach, how the company communicates its brand and more.
Building the Travel Center of the Future
Polly Flinn, founder and principal of Flinnstone Strategies, is an industry expert in creating customer- focused, convenience formats that make their numbers.
Travel centers have the opportunity to increase wallet share by creating a compelling and consistent brand experience to grow traffic, loyalty, sales and profit. In this NATSO Connect 2024 keynote, Flinn shares new insights into the future of travel center retail, offering her expertise on customer segments, brand experience and retail offers.
Watch a video of her presentation.
Watch a HAAS Alert Demonstration
The NATSO Foundation and HAAS Alert, the leading innovator behind the digital alerting service and connected vehicle platform, Safety Cloud®, have a strategic partnership 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. The two groups recently offered a demonstration for the travel center industry.
Watch a recording of the demonstration on Safety Cloud® from HAAS Alert and the NATSO Foundation.
Travel Center Industry Threats and Opportunities
On the NATSO Foundation’s podcast, Darren Schulte, NATSO VP, puts on his futurist hat to help guide the travel center industry.