ANSWERS to the Top 18 QUESTIONS About the Travel Center Industry

Industry knowledge can improve a business’s performance and help operators drive targeted results. But finding answers isn’t always easy. That is why NATSO has created a detailed industry guide answering the top 18 questions about the travel center industry. (Purchase or download the guide here.)

Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president, membership, digs into the more frequently asked questions about the truckstop and travel center industry, which range from how many truckstops and travel centers there are in the United States to what the average sales are at a full-service restaurant in a travel center.

Answers range from how many truckstops and travel centers there are in the United States to what the average sales are at a full-service restaurant in a travel center.

With the report in hand, operators can gain greater insight into the average sales at a garage or service center, how much a professional truck driver spends on fuel at a truckstop, the average staffing costs at a location, and specific sales and costs within a location.

The downloadable ANSWERS to the Top 18 QUESTIONS About the Travel Center Industry is available for free to members and non-members for $250. To download or purchase the guide, click here.

Questions include: 

  1. How many truckstops and travel centers are there in the united states?
  2. How many travel centers sell retail and convenience- store products inside of the location?
  3. How much revenue does the truckstop and travel center industry generate?
  4. What are average sales at full-service restaurants in travel centers?
  5. Do you have information on quick-service restaurant sales and/or leases among travel centers?
  6. Do you have any data on alcohol sales within the truckstop and travel center industry?
  7. What are the average sales at a garage or service center?
  8. Can you share data on revenue from scales?
  9. If we implement changes to encourage conversion from the island to inside the facilities, is it reasonable to expect increases in all departments similar to the gains we will see in fuel sales?
  10. I am considering making changes to my location. What is the expected increase in diesel gallons after a remodel or re-branding/ franchising in partnership with a national chain?
  11. What are the average staffing costs at a location?
  12. What financial opportunities can operators capture with biodiesel?
  13. How many reserved truck parking spaces are typically offered at a location and what is the occupancy rate?
  14. How many interstate truck drivers are there in the united states?
  15. How many class 8 tractors are there in the u.s.?
  16. How many showers are processed each day at leading travel center brands?
  17. How much does a professional truck driver spend on fuel at a truckstop?
  18. How much does a professional truck driver spend inside a truckstop?

The ANSWERS to the Top 18 QUESTIONS About the Travel Center Industry was produced in partnership with Travel Center Profit Drivers, a NATSO initiative that provides access to specialized, experienced consultants and the tools they’ve created to help travel centers thrive. Truckstop and travel center operators looking for help building or growing their business should contact Darren Schulte, NATSO’s vice president, membership at dschulte@natso.com to discuss how the NATSO team can help.