Editor's note: Darren Schulte, NATSO vice president of membership, frequently visits NATSO members to review their locations and offers impactful merchandising and operations improvements. Contact Schulte at dschulte@natso.com or (915) 526-5820 to learn more about the costs and details of this service.
At Acme Truck Stop in Orlando, Florida, the staff is focused on service and speed, and it shows. Service is important to everyone who works at the location. Because the location is older, service is key, and it shows as when I visited the location they immediately made me feel welcome.
The leadership group, including DP Sahni, Ricardo Brown, and James Bloodworth strive to make a difference in the lives of their customers and their employees, and I loved seeing how they lead by example. You can often find the general manager, James Bloodworth, working the registers. Everyone joins together to improve customer service.
This is an older location, and the leadership team is making investments to improve drivers’ experience. They are in the process of putting in new equipment, completing renovations and installing upgrades.
The location is inside of Orlando and is landlocked, but management has gotten creative to ensure they’re meeting drivers’ needs. When they were unable to add showers inside the store, they turned to a modular solution, adding four nice, new shower facilities near the parking area, which are convenient for drivers.
Professional drivers are the primary focus of the location, which offers diesel only. Acme Truck Stop also has laundry facilities, Cat Scales, and a driver lounge with Foosball, billiards, cards, backgammon, puzzles and more. They also generate a steady stream of revenue from paid parking for non-fueling customers, which is an important part of their operation. They outsource their trailer washout services, tire repair and shop and restaurant.
Acme Truck Stop has made a conscious decision to focus on its customers, even if it means thinking outside of the box, and professional drivers traveling in the Sunshine State can benefit from the location’s hospitality and prime location.
/// Did you know most weeks you can find me visiting a NATSO member truckstop location, spending three to four days, using my merchandising and operations expertise to help them grow their business? I periodically share about those great retailers I visit here on the blog. Read more Truckstop Travels here.
Photo Credit: Darren Schulte/NATSO
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