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12-04-2025 by Amy Toner Competing in the Diesel Boom: How Travel Centers Can Thrive Amid Increasing Lane Capacity

Even as diesel demand is forecasted to grow, an unprecedented expansion of diesel lanes by c-store retailers is intensifying competition across the country. For travel centers, the landscape is no longer defined by location alone — it’s about economics, investment strategy, and creating a differentiated experience for professional drivers.

Register to join Peter Rasmussen, CEO and founder of Convenience and Energy Advisors and the NATSO Foundation for a webinar on Dec 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST (1:00pm CST, 12:00pm MST and 11am PST.) Rasmussen will uncover the underlying drivers of this expansion and outlines the operational, financial, and strategic decisions every travel center should be considering today.
12-04-2025
11-19-2025 by NATSO Foundation Mobile Payments Reshape the Competitive Landscape for Travel Centers

Traditionally, professional drivers haven’t had as many options to pay at the pump, but that is changing as new payment platforms gain traction across the trucking industry. These new platforms are not only increasing efficiency for drivers but also reshaping how truck stops and travel centers compete and forcing them to rethink how they attract and retain fueling customers.
11-19-2025
11-05-2025 by Amy Toner NATSO Foundation Offers New Technology Roadmap

Technology is transforming the way truck stops and travel centers operate. From mobile payment systems to app-based promotions and advanced customer engagement tools, operators are rethinking how they serve drivers. New solutions are creating more innovative, convenient and engaging experiences for drivers, helping operators boost loyalty and grow revenue.

The NATSO Foundation and members of the NATSO Foundation 2025 Technology Steering Council have created a Technology Roadmap to help travel center operators stay current on the technology landscape. Purchase a copy to gather their insights into how operators can use technology to their advantage and the most impactful tools travel centers should deploy today.
11-05-2025
10-15-2025 by NATSO Foundation Preventing Losses Inside and Out of Your Travel Center

Loss prevention is an ongoing challenge for business owners including those of truck stops and travel centers. From merchandise shrinkage and employee theft to fuel fraud and wet stock loss, threats come from all directions and operators have to be proactive both inside the store and out at the pumps. Strategic policies, technology, and the right oversight can help reduce losses while also contributing to a safety culture.

A simple best practice is to keep merchandise visible in every stage of its life, and Jeremie Myhren, co-founder of ONRAMP, recommends operators design their stores for visibility. “Keep gondola heights low so there is cashier visibility. Design for the latest in NVR and DVR camera solutions,” he said. “Most customer theft is people opening packages on the sales floor and then shoving it in their clothing.”
10-15-2025
09-11-2025 by Mindy Long Building a Safety Culture at Your Travel Center Starts with Training

Cultivating a safety culture takes time, and structured, role-specific training programs customized for the various areas of the travel center can protect employees and customers alike. In addition to training employees receive when they’re hired, operators should offer are ongoing trainings, including post-accident and seasonal safety, to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“We believe safety is owned by every team member,” Mark Sorine, vice president, enterprise safety and security at Pilot. “Each week, we share a safety message with our stores and ask managers to discuss it with their teams. These messages often focus on trends or situations within the travel center industry. Continuous improvement is a priority, and we conduct multiple safety audits to maintain our processes and standards for safety and security.”
09-11-2025
08-28-2025 by Amy Toner How to Participate in the NATSO Foundation’s Partnership with Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America places wreaths for veterans at the Arlington National Cemetery on National Wreaths Across America Day. The NATSO Foundation aims to raise funds through wreath sponsorships to fill one trailer load of sponsored veterans’ wreaths (approximately 4,500).

To support the NATSO Foundation in reaching its goal, travel centers can participate by soliciting Wreaths Across America sponsorships through December 2, 2025.
08-28-2025
08-25-2025 by Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman NATSO Foundation Awards 2025 Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarships

The NATSO Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded two $5,000 educational scholarships through the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship program to students with ties to the truck stop and travel center industry.   

Recipients of the NATSO Foundation’s 2025 Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship are: 

Christine Blystone, TA Sayre #0152, Sayre, OK
Brynn Marsh, Sapp Bros., Inc., Omaha, NE 

“The NATSO Foundation was able to provide these scholarships again through the generosity of travel center companies, individuals and vendor companies,” said Amy Toner, executive director of the NATSO Foundation. “Donations are critical to maintaining this long-standing tradition, and donors can pledge their support year-round.
08-25-2025
08-14-2025 by Amy Toner Nisqually Markets is Nimble, Serving the Community with Food

As soon as we read about Nisqually Markets’ Ramen Go! Experience, we knew we had to have Sam Roark, director of retail operations for Nisqually Markets, on the podcast. Nisqually Markets has it all – innovative technology, experiential offerings, and good food.
Listen in as Roark walks listeners through everything that makes Nisqually Markets so special.
08-14-2025
08-13-2025 by NATSO Foundation Franchising Offers Strategic Growth Opportunities for Travel Centers

Well-known quick-service brands are powerful tools truck stop and travel plaza operators can use to attract customers and drive traffic inside and boost sales throughout the location.

“One golden brand is all you need,” said Keith Wade, owner of KEW Travel Center Consulting, while speaking during the Great Ideas! Workshop at NATSO Connect 2025. Wade added that a known brand can even boost sales of proprietary offerings. “When I see a billboard with Bob’s Tacos and clean restrooms, I think I need to keep going. If you have a smaller site but can put in a Wendy’s or branded site, then you’ll sell the hell out of your Bob’s Tacos. You just have to get them there first.”

“Try this exercise. Take a trip 10 to 15 miles down the interstate from your location. Open up Google, Apple Maps, Waze, etc., and type in “food” and hit search. Does food at your location come up that would make a car stop at your travel center that hasn’t stopped at your location before? A QSR with known a food offering can be a big motivator in getting cars to stop,” said Toner.

Dustin Trail, manager of Trails Travel Center, said there is always a fear that adding another food-serve brand will cannibalize sales of the existing offerings. “Sometimes you do, but if you pick the right ones, they all actually see an increase with all the new logos and billboards,” he said. “You give people another reason to stop, and you’re driving traffic to your location.”
08-13-2025
08-06-2025 by NATSO Foundation Travel Center Trend: Offering Food Faster

For Class 8 truck drivers, hours-of-service regulations and electronic logging devices strictly dictate how they must spend their time. Finding new ways to shorten the distance between drivers at the fuel island and fresh food continues to trend in the travel center industry.

Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president, membership, said now is the ideal time for operators to focus on food. “We are going through a food offering revolution in travel centers. This is one of the most exciting times to be in the food space in travel centers,” he said.

Bringing food closer to the driver, strengthening grab-and-go food offerings and finding new ways to speed drivers through a location can increase convenience, boost sales and make a location a preferred stop.  
08-06-2025

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