In today’s information-overloaded business world, we often find ourselves deluged with literally hundreds of news items from dozens of sources. While it is likely impossible to read every article and remain productive, by not doing so we risk missing the one article that could change a key business practice or thought process. And that is where the NATSO Foundation’s newest publication, Biz Brief, provides assistance! The NATSO Foundation's Biz Brief is a daily collection of the most relevant business intelligence for truckstop and travel plaza operators.
While we think the Biz Brief is a must-read every day, if you only read ten news articles this week, these ten most-clicked Biz Brief articles are the ten to read.
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TravelCenters of America Shop Exec to Retire
TravelCenters of America announced that long-time industry shop executive Ara Bagdasarian will retire in 2014 after 36 years of service. He will spend a portion of 2014 transitioning his executive responsibilities to John "Skip" McGary, who is currently the TravelCenters’ Senior Vice President – Stores. Following his retirement, Bagdasarian plans to spend time working with a local not-for-profit organization that deals with developmental disabilities. Click here to read more > -
Trucking and the Work Ethic of Millenials
A trucking industry journalist, Sean Kilcarr, offers some important questions regarding the future of trucking. Employees of the Generation Y or Millennials age group will comprise 75 percent of the work force by 2025. Kilcarr references a recent report by Wall Street investment firm Stifel Nicolas & Co., which states,"Americans with a deep-seated, focused work ethic are few and far between. Many seem unwilling to endure short-term pain for long-term gain. Couples are waiting to get married, if they marry at all, and wait even longer to have children, if any at all. The slowdown in the rate of household formation and all the attendant consumption continues as societal priorities change and as the government adopts policies that discourage hard work, success, innovation, creativity, job creation, and investment in favor of income redistribution and other social policies." Kilcarr wonders how the difficult occupation of trucking will survive in that environment. Click here to read more > -
Truckstop Considers Developing Former Prison Site
Road Ranger, LLC may build a travel center in Graysville, Ill., at the site of a former state prison after the City Council approved the sale of eight acres of the prison site to the company. The location would sit on Interstate 64 near the Illinois-Indiana border. Road Ranger is weighing various factors to determine if it will move forward with development.Click here to read more > -
Mapping the Keystone XL Pipeline
The recent environmental report released by the U.S. State Department increases the likelihood that the cross-border Keystone XL Pipeline will become a reality. So where will the pipeline be located? The attached graphic maps out the proposed routing of the Hardisty to Houston pipeline. Click here to read more > -
Walmart To Add Distribution Centers
In an effort to better compete with Amazon.com, Walmart has announced plans to add to their distribution center network in the US. The retailer's objective is to improve the timeliness of orders from the point the customer places a merchandise order online to the time it is delivered. Walmart recently opened a Texas distribution center that is shipping online orders throughout the country. It plans to expand that footprint of centers and enhance the online portion of their business. Click here to read more > -
$2.1 Million Haul In C-Store Skimming Case
Thirteen people have been indicted in Manhattan on charges that they stole over $2.1 million from consumers using convenience store gasoline dispensers across the southeast U.S. The suspects embedded skimming devices into the credit card readers of the stores' dispensers and extracted individual customer data via Bluetooth. The thieves then used the credit card information to access cash at banks and ATMs in Manhattan. The four lead defendants have been charged with 426 counts of various crimes. Click here to read more > -
S.C. Inland Port to Reduce Truck Traffic Count By 25,000
The new inland port in Greer, S.C. opened in October of 2013 and is connected to the state's ocean ports by rail. Officials project the inland facility will result in the removal of 25,000 truck trips per year on the 212-mile stretch of Interstate 26 between the mountains and the Charleston area. The South Carolina Port Authority CEO estimates that, within five years, 100,000 truck trips per year will be eliminated. Norfolk Southern Railways has recently begun service between the ports. Click here to read more > -
Atlanta South Celebrates Employee Service
Seventy-year old Waneta Bristol has decided to serve her last meal at the Atlanta South 75 Travel Center. After 22 years of service, the long-term restaurant server was recognized at a retirement celebration in her honor. A gathering of current and former coworkers joined the celebration and shared fond stories of their time with Ms. Bristol. Travel Center owner Bob Ryan summed it up by saying - “She’s just been a wonderful, wonderful person and so dependable. It’s not going to be the same without her.” Click here to read more > -
Love's Brings CNG To Ohio
Love's Travel Stops has announced its plans to add CNG filling capabilities to its Interstate 71 travel center location in Burbank, Ohio. The fast-fill station, which will serve over-the-road trucks and passenger vehicles, is expected to open this summer. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center, this will be the fifteenth public compressed natural gas filling station in Ohio. Click here to read more > -
Biodiesel Industry Struggles
Changes to federal regulations have led to a significant slowdown of biodiesel production with many plants idled or experiencing reduced output. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to freeze the amount of biodiesel required to be blended with diesel to 2013 levels of 1.28 billion. Total U.S. production of biodiesel, however, was running at a rate of 2.0 billion gallons at year end. In addition, a $1 blender's tax credit was eliminated at the end of 2013. This will obviously impact biodiesel's competitiveness with petroleum diesel. Click here to read more >
I might be biased, but I think if you aren't receiving Biz Brief, you are missing out! Not a subscriber? Be sure to submit a request to be added to the email list. Already receive it and have feedback for me? Be sure to email me at editor@natso.com.
- See more at: http://www.natso.com/blog/what-you-missed-in-the-biz-brief-this-week-december-4-2013-#sthash.OtWdANVl.dpuf
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