What You Missed in the Biz Brief This Week: October 23, 2013

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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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. 

  1. Where Will Truck Stop Restaurants Fall on Tomorrow's Service Spectrum? 
    Experts think that restaurants of the future will fall into one of two classifications: self-service and served-service. This division is occurring as a result of the application of new technologies. Today's fast food restaurants and quick-serve feeders continue to move service duties from people onto technology platforms such as tabletop devices, tablets and kiosks. On the other hand, full-serve food service operators continue to seek improvements in hospitality and ambiance. Which direction an operator chooses will likely be driven by the needs of the customer. Click here to read more >

  2. Rocky Mountain Travel Center To Re-Open 
    The Rocky Mountain Travel Center located on I-25 in Pueblo, N.M. closed in February of 2011. The facility has recently been acquired by Manjit Singh and it is expected to re-open in the near future following renovation. New fuel dispensers have been installed and work continues on the full service restaurant and convenience store. The location had previously been owned and operated for 47 years by the Koury family. Click here to read more >

  3. New Jersey Sets Turnpike Gas Prices 
    Gasoline prices on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway are set each week by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The Authority surveys gas pricing at 100 retail locations off the toll roads on Wednesday and Thursday of each week. It then sets the price that will be in effect for the next seven-days. The rest area pricing is not permitted to be greater than 3 cents above the average price found in the weekly survey. Click here to read more >
  4. Fleets Share NG Experience 
    Executives from Canadian trucking firms Bison and Robert Transport shared information regarding their experience with natural gas vehicles. Their comments came at the first Natural Gas Vehicle Conference. Some of the key takeaways: Bison is getting about 18 percent worse fuel mileage than with similar diesel-powered engines. Bison expected a range of 550 miles from its LNG units but is experiencing 450 miles. The break-in period on the engines was more than 120,000 miles, and vehicle weight and length became extremely challenging dealing with LNG fuel storage. Click here to read more >

  5. Big Rig Protest Fizzles 
    Widespread media attention does not always guarantee the success of a movement. The planned truck driver protest in Washington, D.C., generated plenty of media hype leading up to the event, but the actual exercise was far from advertised. Local law enforcement reported little impacts to traffic around the D.C. area. Movement leaders had hoped for thousands of trucks to travel to Washington to protest a wide range of complaints. Click here to read more >

  6. Weekend To-Dos 
    Is a good weekend measured by how much work you get out of the way? If so, you may not be maximizing your success potential. For most highly-successful people, the weekend may look very similar to the week, but the focus is different. It is likely that the successful leader will be just as driven on weekends but on different goals. Family, physical and spiritual goals likely demand much more time and attention, but with the same level of passion as weekday work-related items receive. Click here to read more >

  7. How to Deal With Success 
    Success, which most strive for in every area, can also have a downside. That downside often comes as a result of an inappropriate reaction to the success. Five tips to dealing with the aftermath of success include not believing your own PR, keep moving the finish line forward, prioritize and focus on what earned you the success, find someone new to provide feedback and get back to work. Avoid the pitfalls of a job well-done. Click here to read more >
  8. Amazon's Changes Could Impact Freight Flows 
    Amazon is moving in a new direction that could affect freight movements. The online distribution company has begun operations inside Procter & Gamble's manufacturing warehouses. Instead of products moving from P&G to Amazon's distribution centers and on to consumers' homes, the product now will move directly from the manufacturer to the customer. Amazon also is moving inside numerous other providers to affect similar efficiency gains. Customers and vendors alike have concerns about the competitive impacts of this new strategy. Click here to read more >

  9. Chain Store Sales Show Big Jump in September 
    U.S. chain store sales increased 5.1 percent excluding gasoline sales in the month of September. The month's sales performance was led by chain drug stores with a 6.7 percent jump over the prior year. This represents the pharmacy segments best sales report since April 2007. The International Council of Shopping Centers is expecting growth between 3 percent and 4 percent for the month of October. Click here to read more >

  10. New Rail-Truck Terminal Opens In Indy 
    A new intermodal rail terminal has opened in Indianapolis' Southside. The facility will handle cargo traveling to and from Canada and on to Asia. Much of its freight will move via an agreement with CN Railroad and is freight that traditionally had moved to and from Chicago. Over-the-road freight movement changes will occur as a result of this new facility's opening. 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.

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