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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. 

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. 

Tiger Truck Stop Offers Up Southern Hospitality and a Taste of Louisiana

Posted on by Mindy Long

Tiger Truck Stop–the last stop on I-10 before heading into the Louisiana capital of Baton Rouge–is as welcoming as the rich Louisiana culture.

“Our focus is to provide superior customer service in a welcoming atmosphere for travelers of all kinds,” said James Jarreau, co-owner of Tiger Truck Stop. “In addition to regular convenience store products, we bring a little Louisiana to travelers.”

They do that through their c-store and restaurant offerings. Customers can pick up Louisiana Cajun spices and specialty foods, including boudin, Alligator sausage and Louisiana gumbo. The restaurant is open 24/7 and serves daily plate lunches.

Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Travel Center Operations

Posted on by Mindy Long

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is changing the retail, convenience and fueling industries, helping operators optimize sales and inventory, streamline operations, reduce costs and improve the customer experience. 

“The benefit of AI is it can help make decisions without having any human emotion involved, which is really important in retail,” said Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president of membership.

Inventory Management
Schulte said several NATSO members are using AI to help them manage their inventory, determine their product mix and help create planograms. “From a planogram standpoint, they can ask which to place on certain facings and how to get the most productivity out of them,” he explained.

LV Petroleum is Experiencing Rapid Growth

Posted on by Mindy Long

When Quyntyn Johnson, president of operations at LV Petroleum, joined the company in 2022, it had one travel center, zero quick-service restaurants, four convenience stores and 115 employees. As of October 2024, the company has 22 travel centers, 43 quick-service restaurants, 40 convenience stores and nearly 2,000 employees.

“We’ve done more acquisitions than we have done ground-up builds, but now we’re hitting our peak where our ground-up builds and our acquisitions are merging together,” Johnson said.

Driver Demographics Continue to Diversify

Posted on by Mindy Long

The demographics among professional drivers continue to shift, and knowing who is behind the wheel can help truck stop and travel center operators ensure they have the products and services that will appeal to today’s truck drivers.

Greenlane is Looking for Partners in its Electric Vehicle and Hydrogen Fueling Network

Posted on by Mindy Long

Greenlane—a $650 million joint venture funded by NextEra, BlackRock and Daimler—is planning to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. The charging sites will also serve battery-electric passenger car and light-duty fleet customers and are being designed to provide hydrogen refueling for commercial vehicles in the future.

This week Greenlane announced that it broke ground to develop its first commercial EV charging corridor along Interstate 15. The initial locations will be in Colton, Barstow and Baker, California. Over the next year, more locations will be added along the corridor, extending beyond Southern Nevada and to San Pedro in California.

Geopolitical Risks Create Unknowns for Global Energy

Posted on by Mindy Long

The fuel industry relies on a global market, making it vulnerable to geopolitical risks that can significantly impact the availability, pricing, and distribution of fuel. Current unrest in the Middle East and Russia, coupled with unknowns in Venezuela, all have implications for the fuel market.

“Political risk issues this year will also include the political risk issues of public policy. One of those that deserves mention is if a new presidential administration comes in,” said Greg Priddy, a senior fellow for the Middle East at the Center for the National Interest and expert on political risk and global energy markets. “Will you have changes in U.S. regulatory structure that mean the U.S. produces more or less going forward?”

Priddy, who will be speaking at NATSO’s Fast Forward Focus, said the market can feel the effects of supply getting cut off, which can lead to oil price fluctuations and supply shortages, or supply increasing suddenly.

NATSO Staff Visits WattEV to Share Insights and Learn About the Company

Posted on by Mindy Long

WattEV is taking a multi-pronged approach to help advance the electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, offering truck-as-a-service equipment and developing electric truck charging infrastructure. The company has received millions of dollars in grants to build out charging infrastructure and has joined NATSO to learn more about the industry. NATSO’s Christine Schoessler, chief operating officer, and Darren Schulte, vice president of membership, along with several NATSO travel center members, recently traveled to WattEV’s headquarters in California to connect with the company’s leadership.

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