The NATSO Foundation is the research, education, and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The foundation is completely autonomous and relies solely on donations. The foundation’s work includes tools for truck stops and travel centers to future-proof their business, educational programs, safety initiatives, and scholarships through the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship.
Shifts in freight patterns, an increase in light- and medium-duty commercial vehicles, and higher levels of RV traffic are driving an increase in forecourt diesel sales.
“I would strongly suggest our members to look at the big, big picture and how it is impacting them. New entrants to the market are ensuring they have diesel in all of their fueling lanes and have auto diesel up front.” said Darren Schulte, NATSO’s interim CEO and vice president of membership.
OnCue operates 75 convenience stores across Oklahoma and one in Houston, Texas, along with four travel centers, which is an area of focus and growth for the company.
“We’re continuing to expand in Oklahoma City with several more stores slated for 2025.”
OnCue’s newest and largest travel center opened to the public on late last year in Oklahoma City. The lot can service up to 24 vehicles in the front and seven in the back. The store features a drive-thru window, self-checkout machines, a lottery kiosk, an expanded coffee selection and OnCue’s new line of refreshers, a lightly caffeinated non-coffee beverage.
Truck stop and travel center operators are always looking for ways to enhance profitability, and one promising solution is ethanol. Integrating ethanol blends, which are typically less expensive than gasoline, into fuel offerings can help operators attract customers, improve profits and maintain a competitive edge.
“If you’re not blending biodiesel, keep an open mind,” said Ginger Laidlaw, vice president of NATSO’s Alternative Fuels Council. “I’ve had more members and more clients contacting me and asking me about ethanol blending.”
Laidlaw introduced a panel discussion on the benefits of offering ethanol during NATSO Connect 2025. She was joined by Jake Comer, vice president of market development for Growth Energy, Andrew Falco, manager of market development for Growth Energy, and Jeff Wilkerson, government policy and regulatory affairs of Pearson Fuel.
The keynote was generously sponsored by Growth Energy.
Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at OPIS, offered a keynote address during NATSO Connect 2025 and shared his insights into how tariffs, geopolitical events, and refining trends could shape the energy landscape in the coming years.
“Gasoline and diesel margins continue to remain on firm footing. I do not expect this to change,” he explained.
During NATSO Connect, NATSO celebrated the career and accomplishments of Marsha Bird who is retiring after spending 35 years in the truck stop and travel center industry. Bird spent more than 28 years with NATSN where she served in several positions, including CEO, before joining Roady’s where she served as an account executive, vice president and ambassador.
Austin Burns, president and CEO of Paragon Solutions, highlighted six key areas operators can focus on to improve customers’ experience during NATSO Connect.
“We focus on the customer journey and experience because it is so pivotal right now,” said Burns. “Understand your strategy and who you are as a brand. Pick what you do well.”
Professional drivers fueling up are just steps away from the store, making the pump a powerful tool to introduce new convenience offerings, boost foot traffic and improve the driver experience.
“Sharing useful information within the first few minutes of a pump transaction is key,” said Raghav Shankar, product manager, media and technology for Dover Fueling Solutions. “With the average fueling time at a truck stop around 10 to 12 minutes, this provides a good amount of time to display the targeted information at the pump that helps the driver find what they need.”
The demographics of professional truck drivers are evolving, which is altering the needs and preferences of drivers on the road. Adapting to these changes not only helps operators better serve their customers but also ensures long-term success.
“We know we are seeing more younger drivers, women and minorities, but it is important for operators to really get to know the specific demographics they are serving, including if they are long-haul, short-haul or day drivers,” said Darren Schulte, NATSO’s Interim CEO. “It is also important to understand if they are company drivers or owner operators because that will influence their purchases and top priorities.”
Equipment manufacturers and fleets are deploying and testing autonomous Class 8 technology, moving the trucking industry closer to high-volume production and deployment of fully autonomous driverless solutions.
The upcoming holiday season brings additional opportunities to boost sales, and travel centers can bring a little magic to the mix by surprising customers with unexpected products.
“We can offer unique, fun things, and we have the opportunity to do something very, very different,” said Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president of membership. “I think there is an opportunity to get away from the old, tired retail stuff we often try to sell for Christmas.”
The NATSO Foundation is excited to announce a unique hybrid educational and networking event during NATSO Connect. The event, which will run from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 28, has been designed to foster meaningful connections between vendors and truck stop and travel center professionals, helping them address key challenges that keep them up at night.