President Donald Trump Intends to Push a $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan. What Could it Mean for Truckstops?

President Donald Trump intends to push a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that is expected to materialize this spring. The President’s plan for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure is expected to rely on private investment instead of the federal government to back transportation projects.
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President Donald Trump intends to push a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that is expected to materialize this spring. The President’s plan for rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure is expected to rely on private investment instead of the federal government to back transportation projects.

Although formal details have yet to emerge, during his campaign President Trump spoke at a high level about infrastructure spending, saying it would focus on tax credits and private sector financing. These revenue schemes could lead to tolling or rest area commercialization, which NATSO opposes as they are harmful to interstate exit-based businesses.

Here’s a quick look at the impact that such revenue schemes would have on truckstops and travel plazas and their myriad profit centers.

Nearly 80,000 restaurants, gas stations and truck service businesses operate within a quarter mile of the Interstate Highway System employing 2 million Americans and contributing billions in state and local taxes.

Together, these businesses generate more than $250 billion in total sales annually, nearly three quarters of which is the result of fuel sales.

More Commercialized Rest Areas Would:

If commercialization were permitted in the 611 U.S. counties with existing non-commercial rest areas, the result would be:

  • A 44 percent decrease in restaurant sales
  • A 46 percent decrease in gas sales
  • A 35 percent decrease in truck service business sales

This is a LOSS of more than $55 billion in annual sales for interchange businesses like yours

The reduction in annual sales at interchange businesses related to the presence of commercial rest areas is as follows:

  • A decrease of $41.2 million in annual sales at interstate-serving truck service businesses, equivalent to the total sales of a typical full-service truckstop with repair facilities
  • A decrease of $38.2 million in annual sales at interstate-serving gas stations, equivalent to the total sales of six typical gas stations
  • A decrease of $27.9 million in annual sales at interstate-serving restaurants, equivalent to the total sales of 20–30 typical restaurants. This figure includes restaurants that are tenants within interstate-serving gas stations or truckstops

Tolling Existing Interstates Would:

  • Force truckstops to increase wages to attract and retain a workforce
  • Increase the cost of delivering goods and services, putting local businesses at a competitive disadvantage and increasing the cost of living for residents
  • Create traffic diversion whereby drivers avoid tolls by utilizing secondary, less safe roads that bypass truckstops located at the interstate exits

These revenue schemes could lead to tolling or rest area commercialization, which NATSO opposes as they are harmful to interstate exit-based businesses.

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Plan Now to Attend NATSO’s Day on Capitol Hill: May 15–17, 2017

On May 15–17, NATSO members will travel from across the United States to Washington, D.C., to educate their elected officials about the critical role the truckstop industry plays in the U.S. economy as well as to discuss key industry challenges. We need your help to ensure our industry’s collective voice is heard in the halls of Congress.

To ensure that lawmakers understand and respond to the needs of the truckstop and travel plaza community, it is vital that you attend.

Registration for NATSO’s Day on Capitol Hill 2017 is on NATSO’s website here.

Contact David Fialkov at (703) 739-8501 or dfialkov@natso.com with questions.

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