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Mindy Long

Mindy Long is a journalist and editor specializing in the logistics, transportation and fueling industries. She has been writing professionally for more than 25 years and launched her freelance business in 2008. Prior to going freelance, she served as editor of Stop Watch, a staff reporter at Transport Topics, and a Washington correspondent for WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vermont. Her work appears in a variety of media outlets. 

The Right Travel Center Signs Boosts Sales and Improves the Customer Experience

Posted on by Mindy Long

Signage is an important tool to bring in highway traffic, but locations only have a few seconds to grab drivers’ attention.

“Signage studies show that it takes about five seconds due to cognitive load to look at a sign and determine what that sign says,” said Curtis Dukes, director of digital solutions and integration for Sunshine Electronic Display Corp. “At 70 miles an hour, you only have three seconds.”

That’s why signage needs to be clear and concise. “Drivers scan. They don’t study a sign,” Dukes added. “Complexity will hurt you.”

During NATSO Connect 2026, Dukes told attendees that drivers are scanning signs for brand recognition, price advantage or a compelling amenity and recommended operators simplify their messaging so it can be understood at speed in real-world conditions.

Create Reasons for the Four-Wheel Customer to Come Inside Your Travel Center

Posted on by Mindy Long

Speed, efficiency and location have long been a competitive advantage for truck stop and travel center operators, but those attributes alone may no longer be enough to drive traffic inside the store.

“The world already sells convenience,” said Frank Beard, head of marketing at Rovertown.  “What convenience stores really sell is a better day.”

While speaking during NATSO Connect 2026, Beard said operators need to shift their focus from convenience to emotional value, saying c-stores competes not just with other retailers but with a broader ecosystem of on-demand services that are increasing convenience across nearly every aspect of daily life.

Building a Safety Culture at Your Travel Center Starts with Training

Posted on by Mindy Long

Cultivating a safety culture takes time, and structured, role-specific training programs customized for the various areas of the travel center can protect employees and customers alike. In addition to training employees receive when they’re hired, operators should offer are ongoing trainings, including post-accident and seasonal safety, to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“We believe safety is owned by every team member,” Mark Sorine, vice president, enterprise safety and security at Pilot. “Each week, we share a safety message with our stores and ask managers to discuss it with their teams. These messages often focus on trends or situations within the travel center industry. Continuous improvement is a priority, and we conduct multiple safety audits to maintain our processes and standards for safety and security.”

Travel Center Leaders Discuss the Future of Fuels at ACT Expo

Posted on by Mindy Long

Truck stop leaders speaking at the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo said that they are investing in zero-carbon fuels for trucking fleets and rolling out solutions as the markets allow. They also see a future where locations will need to offer multiple fuels and energy sources to meet fleets’ needs.

“There’s no one size fits all solution,” said Debi Boffa, CEO of TravelCenters of America and a member of NATSO’s board of directors. “We’re looking for different opportunities to learn and test these technologies as it gets played out.”

She said that offering choice is important because different fleets have different needs. “We’re constantly looking at what’s going on in the market, what is the best price opportunity for our customers, where we want to invest first and where we want to invest later,” she explained.

Valor Oil’s Hop Shops Draw Customers in with a Unique Attraction

Posted on by Mindy Long

Kentucky-based Valor Oil operates 15 Hop Shop convenience stores and is in the process of building its first truck stop from the ground up. The company is investing $2 million in the truck stop, which is in Owensboro, Kentucky. It will sit on about 15 acres and feature a 9,500-square-foot store along with 120 parking spaces.

The newest location will also feature something Hop Shop has become known for—its disco bathrooms.

Hop Shop’s mascot is a mischievous frog named Hopper, and he warns customers not to push the red button in the bathroom. “If you push the red button, that is when the disco starts,” said Tim Dupin, director of store operations, Valor Oil.

Technology to Detect and Prevent Loss for Travel Centers

Posted on by Mindy Long

Reducing shrink and theft can seem like a constant battle for truck stop and travel center operators, but technology is making it easier to detect and prevent loss. During NATSO Connect 2025, members of the NATSO Foundation’s Technology Steering Council shared solutions and strategies to combat theft.

Great Ideas for Attracting and Retaining Travel Center Customers

Posted on by Mindy Long

NATSO’s Great Ideas! for Travel Centers Workshop at NATSO Connect 2025 brought truck stop and travel center operators to share innovative strategies and best practices that are helping set locations apart from their competition. This year, industry leaders shared their insights into meeting customers’ increasing expectations through great fundamentals.

“Carve out a niche and differentiate yourself from your competition,” said Dustin Trail, manager of Trails Travel Center.

Trail, along with Valkyrie Musarra, chief operating officer of Bowlin Travel Centers, and Keith Wade, owner of KEW Travel Center Consulting, kicked off the workshop with a panel discussion moderated by NATSO Foundation Executive Director Amy Toner on merchandising, food service and operations.

NATSO’s 2025 Chairman Encourages Operators to Embrace Change

Posted on by Mindy Long

Change is happening throughout the truck stop and travel center industry, and Joe Zietlow, industry and trade association manager for Kwik Trip Inc. and NATSO’s 2025 chairman, said operators have to adjust to continue meeting the needs of their customers. 

While speaking during NATSO Connect 2025, Zietlow shared lessons from the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD, about anticipating, preparing for and managing change. The book follows four characters—Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw—who live in a maze and depend on cheese as their source of happiness and sustenance.

Professional Drivers are Cooking in the Cab

Posted on by Mindy Long

Professional truck drivers are preparing meals inside their trucks cooking inside of their trucks, presenting both challenges and opportunities for operators. 

“We know factually that drivers are cooking inside of their trucks, more now than ever,” said Darren Schulte, NATSO interim CEO. “I think it is a direct reflection of the cost of living, especially for professional drivers who are on the road where, traditionally, costs are higher.”

A study by NATSO Services on professional drivers found that a significant percentage of drivers are preparing meals in their trucks regularly. “We’ve known this, but now we have the research to support it,” Schulte said.

Alltown Fresh Sets Itself Apart with its Food Offerings

Posted on by Mindy Long

Alltown Fresh, a Global Partners brand, offers a revolutionary convenience marketplace and throughout the northeast, with 16 locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York. Foodservice is a top priority, and locations offer a full-service kitchen, self-serve coffee station and local marketplace.

The NATSO Foundation sat down with Mark Cosenza, senior vice president of Global Partners, to learn more about the brand’s offerings. 

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