Long time NATSO Foundation supporter Davy Crockett TA Travel Center invited me out to its location to learn and write about their thriving truckstop.
Opened in 1976, the TravelCenters of America location is a family-owned business located in Greeneville, Tennessee. The location has 300 parking spots and eight diesel and eight gas lanes.
“My crew and I would love for you to come visit us. Let us share all we're doing for the professional driver as well as the motoring public,” wrote Darrell Ogg, the location’s general manager. Of course, I immediately booked my flight and made plans to tour the location.
It was a chilly wintry day, but the truckstop was full of holiday cheer and friendly staff. Bob Grubb, general counsel, spent the afternoon with me giving me an extensive tour of the expansive festivities.
Take a visual tour to see some of the best practices I appreciated at Davy Crockett TA Travel Center.
Employee of the Year Parking Spots. The location has Employee of the Year parking spots for each of their profit centers. The winners are picked by their colleagues and announced during their employee appreciation day.
Antique Mall. Across the street from the truckstop is an antique mall full of delightful, one-of-a-kind items from more than 50 vendors. Experiential retail is a key trend coming out of the pandemic and their antique mall offers exactly. I went home with several Christmas gifts for family members.
Veteran Parking. A veteran parking spot, an employee thank you plaque to employees that are veterans and a statue out front all show the families’ dedication to thanking veterans.
Davy’s Dog Park. The truckstop has two pet parks that were clean and adorned with professional, welcoming signage.
IHOP. The location has very special IHOP. They worked with IHOP to offer upscale décor and a trucker bar. The IHOP has seats for 200. “We took a gamble on the IHOP. We wanted to be upscale, which meant expensive furnishings, but the gamble paid off it has been a big success,” said Grubb.
Holiday Cheer. The location was full of festive holiday cheer. From the wreaths to the hanging ornaments, the effect felt inviting and family-friendly.
Professional Driver Bar. The Trucker Bar has individual stools, a community table and a row of televisions. Grubb shared that the bar is a favorite of both the traveling professional driver and local customers, especially the after-church crowd.
// This article was created for Stop Watch magazine, the magazine of the NATSO Foundation. The NATSO Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The NATSO Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the traveling public's needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit www.natsofoundation.org for more information. (Donate to the NATSO Foundation here.)
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