Blog

Food, Fuel and Fun at 24-7 Travel Stores

24-7 Travel Stores, which are operated by Triplett Inc., have 10 locations in Kansas, and I was recently able to stop by the location in Maple Hill, just 20 miles west of Topeka on I-70 and Exit 341. I was greeted with fast and friendly service and enjoyed seeing the large selection of products. More

Lessons Learned at NATSO Connect: Tell Your Story with Branding and Design

During The Good to Great Session at NATSO Connect, Mike Lawshe, president of Paragon Solutions, shared his insights into branding. Branding and design tells a story, and Lawshe challenged operators to think about the stories they are telling at their location. “To me the wonderful advantage we have as independent truckstop operators is we can tell whatever story we want, so make it a good one,” Lawshe said during the session. “Telling a story and creating a brand is critical. Your brand is everything.” Design’s Role in Branding Design is a kay part in what helps operators create their image. “Something as subtle as your aisle widths is making a statement about who you are,” Lawshe said. More

Customer Service and Cleanliness Drive Sales at Pride Travel Center in Eloy

Pride Travel Center in Eloy, Arizona, excels in customer service and speed, which helps this location drive some incredible fuel volumes. In speaking with drivers during my visit, speed and staff are mentioned frequently, and this is critical especially when attempting to compete with more modern or brand new interstate travel centers. More

Food Offerings Reign Supreme at Pride Travel Center’s Salome Location

During my travels, I was recently able to visit Pride Travel Center in Salome, Arizona, which is owned by Manjit Bajwa, Charanjit Bajwa, Laddie Bajwa and Jagjit Kahlon. Pride recently took this store over and have been making steady improvements to the operations, which is resulting in good success. More

6 More Tips to Better Serve RV Customers at Your Truckstop

After a NATSO member asked me how she could drive more RV traffic to her travel center, I sat down with a friend who has spent the better part of four years and accumulated more than 100,000 miles traveling the country in a diesel-powered pickup towing a 30-foot travel trailer to learn more about his life on the road. He shared his experiences and made some recommendations for how truckstops and travel plazas could better serve RVers. He had a lot of great stuff to share! Here are seven more recommendations on how to attract and serve RV traffic. More

A Quick Look at Another Canadian Travel Center Location

After stopping at PetroCanada during my time up north, I was also able to visit Husky Energy’s location in Golden BC. This particular location is operated by the husband-and-wife team of Denise and Ken Scott. More

Trends Watch: What Declining Gas Consumption Means for Your Truckstop

Where do you see your fuel operations heading in 10 years, 20 years — how about 32 years? That may seem like a long way out, but with the ever-changing transportation sector, forward-thinking truck stops and travel plazas are looking that far ahead now. And what they’re finding is the future of gasoline is uncertain. That may be putting it nicely. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that motor gasoline consumption will decrease 31 percent between 2017 and 2050. Why? The main culprit is increasing fuel economy standards. So how should you react? Think of it this way: What would a 31 percent drop in gasoline sales mean for your business? Also, what would it mean for your in-store sales if traffic at your pumps dropped significantly? More

8 Tips to Better Serve RV Customers at Your Truckstop

Learn recommendations for how truckstops and travel plazas could better serve RVers. More

Take a Trip up North to a PetroCanada Travel Center

Sometimes it is fun to see what our neighbors to the north are doing. Earlier this year I was able to visit a PetroCanada location just outside Calgary operated by the husband and wife team of Allan and Kathy Neuauter. More

Five Key Takeaways from a Truckstop Industry Icon Shared During NATSO Connect

During NATSO Connect, Bobby Berkstresser was presented with The Hall of Fame Award, which recognizes individuals for their notable participation in their communities, industry and the association. As part of the presentation, Tom Heinz, former NATSO Chairman, past Hall of Fame Award winner and president of Coffee Cup Fuel Stops, sat down with Berkstresser to learn more about his experience and success in the travel plaza industry. Berkstresser was happy to share his insights with Heinz and the show’s attendees. More

Showing
per page, 957 total