Trends - NATSO

07-01-2014 by NATSO Operators Slice And Dice Data for Business Insights

Information is everywhere and the number of sources producing information is constantly increasing.

Big data—a popular term used to describe the growth and availability of both structured and unstructured information—is changing the way many companies operate. Today’s operators are relying on insights from their customers, internal processes and business operations to uncover new opportunities for growth.

The challenge with any data set is converting it into useable information by identifying patterns and deviations from those patterns. By analyzing both internal and external sources of data, operators are able to better understand their customers, identify trends and predict sales.

07-01-2014

01-01-2014 by NATSO Focusing on the Future: Truckstop Operators Look to Innovation and Advocacy

Today’s truckstops and travel plaza operators are navigating a mature industry. That means they must continue to innovate to maintain and grow sales. At the same time, they are also keeping tabs on government regulation that may change the way they do business and advocating for the future of the industry.

Truckstop Business

01-01-2014

09-01-2013 by NATSO Biz Brief Reader Tip Sheet

Biz Brief is the latest tool in the NATSO Foundation’s arsenal of programs and products aimed at strengthening travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the traveling public through improved operational performance and business planning.

Delivered daily via email, Biz Brief is specifically designed to deliver daily business intelligence for the truckstop and travel plaza community of owners and operators.

How can you best use the features that are provided each day in the Biz Brief? Here are editor Roger Cole’s tips for what to watch for to make the most of the newsletter’s business intelligence.

Industry News

09-01-2013

09-01-2013 by NATSO Repairs And Roast Beef Sandwich Sales Grow At Dodge City

Petro Dodge City #397 is located in Hanceville, Ala., which is positioned perfectly between Birmingham and Huntsville. With a brand new truck repair shop and renovations in the works, they are also positioned to grow.

09-01-2013

06-20-2013 by NATSO New Ideas and Trends in Food Service

For truckstops and travel plazas, restaurants are among the most important profit centers at the locations. Sit-down and quick-service restaurants alike attract four-wheeler traffic, professional drivers and locals. Even better, […]

06-20-2013

04-10-2013 by NATSO Diesel to Remain the Leading Fuel for Trucking

Diesel fuel will remain the primary fuel the trucking industry uses for decades to come, according to a two-year study on the future of alternative fuels conducted by the National Petroleum Council. The U.S. Secretary of Energy requested the study, which looked at a range of alternative-fuel options alongside traditional diesel and gasoline.

04-10-2013

03-25-2013 by NATSO Quick Facts and Figures Relevant to Truckstops, March 25

Buoyed by booming shale plays in North Dakota and Texas, U.S. oil production will be 2 million barrels a day higher than imports by the end of 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook.

Industry News

03-25-2013

03-11-2013 by NATSO Love’s Travel Stops Announces Addition of Compressed Natural Gas

Love’s Travel Stops announced the addition of fast-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling capability to service Class 8 trucks is underway at eight of its travel stops between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas.

03-11-2013

03-01-2013 by NATSO Trends and Priorities Affecting the Truckstop and Travel Plaza Industry

History shows that the offerings and business operations at truckstops and travel plazas shift as their customers’ needs change, and the most successful operations work to stay

03-01-2013

03-01-2013 by NATSO Travel Plaza and Truckstop Industry Convenience Product Trends

A dose of the quarterly analysis of weekly purchases of travel plaza and truckstops served by McLane.

03-01-2013

02-25-2013 by NATSO Truck Tonnage Increases in January

The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 2.9 percent in January after jumping 2.4 percent in December. Tonnage has surged at least 2.4 percent every month since November, gaining a total of 9.1 percent over that period. Seasonally adjusted data takes into account items such as weather, increased factory production for certain times of the year, harvests and back-to-school sales.

Industry News

02-25-2013