The NATSO Foundation is responsible for:
The NATSO Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc.
The foundation is completely autonomous and relies solely on donations. Please consider a donation to the NATSO Foundation to enable the continued success of these programs. Donate to the NATSO Foundation here.
The foundation is responsible for:
Providing Education and Research for the Truckstop and Travel Plaza Industry
The NATSO Foundation provides programs and products aimed at strengthening travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the traveling public through improved operational performance and business planning including:
The Truck Stops Here Podcast
It is a disruptive time in the fuel business, but The Truck Stops Here podcast is packed with critical analysis on what to expect as well as ideas to propel your travel center business into the future. You’ll hear from experts on and off the NATSO staff and directly from NATSO members on what techniques they use to excel. Pull up, grab the fuel nozzle and get ready to fuel up. Listen to the NATSO Foundation’s podcast here.
Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship
Industry scholarships are awarded every year under the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship Program to deserving travel plaza employees and their dependents. A travel plaza/truckstop industry employee or the legal dependent of an employee are eligible. More information on the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship Program is available here.
Speakers at NATSO Connect
The speakers provided by the NATSO Foundation at NATSO Connect are chosen for their ability to assist travel plaza and truckstop owners and management in achieving excellence for their industry, customers, communities and society.
18 FAQs on Shop Repair & Truck Washes Toolkit
Truck repair and truck washes can be valuable profit centers that also meet professional drivers’ critical needs, but there are several key factors business owners must consider before expanding into the maintenance and truck wash business. One of the biggest decisions operators must make is whether they should run the shop themselves, outsource it to a local provider, or invite in one of the chain operators to franchise or operate the location. To help operators answer this question and more, the NATSO Foundation worked with industry experts to answer frequently asked questions about these two profit centers in the newly launched 18 FAQs on Shop Repair & Truck Washes Toolkit. Download the toolkit here.
Truckstop and Travel Plaza New Hire Orientation and Training Guidebook
Employees are at the heart of every truckstop and travel plaza operation, but finding and keeping quality staff can be a time-consuming and challenging process. To help businesses succeed, NATSO has released its updated employee handbook. The Truckstop and Travel Plaza New Hire Orientation and Training Guidebook has been designed to help operators maximize the human resources they need to run their travel plazas successfully.
Truckstop and Travel Plaza Training Manual
Training is an essential element in the success of any operation. To help truckstop operators, the NATSO Foundation offers an electronic Truckstop and Travel Plaza Training Manual. The manual is designed to help operators create their own store- and company-specific operations training manual. Learn more about the NATSO Foundation’s Truckstop and Travel Plaza Training Manual.
Website
NATSO and the NATSO Foundation’s website is the daily must-visit source of news, education, data and analysis for truckstop and travel plaza owners.
Research
Over the years, the NATSO Foundation has tackled an ambitious roster of research. Studies completed in the past include:
- 2023 Opportunities Abound at Travel Centers to Serve Professional Drivers and Grow Wallet Share Toolkit
- 2022 Professional Driver Buying Behavior At Travel Centers Toolkit
- 2003 Fueling American Prosperity: How Rest Area Commercialization will Devastate the Economic Contributions of Interstate Business
- 2001 More Than Fuel: An Analysis of Factors Influencing Non-Fuel Sales at Truckstops and Travel Plazas
- 1997 Fueling American Prosperity: The Economic Significance of Interstate Business
- 1995 Factor’s Affecting The Industry
- 1993 Operating Ratios Study
Providing Safety Initiatives for the Truckstop and Travel Plaza Industry
The NATSO Foundation provides the industry with safety initiatives including:
Roadside Service Technicians Safety Initiative
The NATSO Foundation has created a Roadside Service Technician Safety Initiative to reduce accidents involving disabled trucks and roadside assistance personnel. NATSO’s member locations have more than 800 repair shops and almost always are the first call that commercial truck drivers make when their trucks need to be serviced out on the road. Gather Roadside Service Technicians Safety resources.
Anti-Human Trafficking
The NATSO Foundation is committed to working with our members and other transportation sectors to stop all forms of human trafficking in the United States. Learn more about the NATSO’s Foundation’s Anti-Human Trafficking work here.
How Truckstops Help People Training Tool
Truckstop owners, operators and employees often find themselves in a position to help people with more than just their basic needs of food, fuel and rest. “How Truckstops Help People” is an online training tool designed to help teach members of the truckstop and travel plaza industry how to respond to requests for help from people in need of assistance in various scenarios.
Amber Alerts
The NATSO Foundation has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to offer Amber Alerts reflecting the industry’s commitment to a safe environment for employees and customers. NCMEC and the NATSO Foundation have worked together to produce a list of frequently asked questions on the AMBERT Alert Program from truckstop operators that will help them better support the program.