The Truck Stops Here

For 30 years, Big Boys Truckstop has provided hospitality to professional drivers and local customers in Kenly, North Carolina. With a big 30th celebration planned, owner Wendi Powell joined the podcast to tell us about their anniversary plans and what has helped the business succeed for three decades. From a family fun day to a car show to a Veteran's Day tasty thank you, they have a lot planned to celebrate this big milestone.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content

NATSO Podcast hosts Amy Toner and Darren Schulte always love to pick the brains of folks that are new to the industry. When Ben Khatirine, owner of 3B's Truck & Auto Plaza offered to come on the podcast, they jumped on the chance. He walked listeners through his technology, labor and food decisions as he remodels the Lodi, California location.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content, NATSO and Darren Schulte, Vice President, Membership, NATSO

NATSO's Alternative Fuels Council Vice President Ginger Laidlaw returns to NATSO's podcast to talk about blending renewable fuels, some of the incentives involved and the services and tools that the Alternative Fuels Council offers.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Media, NATSO

Over the summer, Gina Bonafede, Director of Marketing Communications at DAS and Derek Lehman, Director of Channel & Shopper Marketing, at DAS shared a great presentation on Guiding Customers on the Road to Purchase in the Post-Pandemic World during NATSO Live. One of the important points they covered is the need to focus on experience in your store. We asked them to come on the podcast to dive a bit deeper into the why and how of customer experience. Listen to hear their ideas on creating an experience, from the minute customers find you online to when they are in your store(s).

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content

LeeAnn Goheen, NATSO's director of government affairs, joins the podcast to get listeners up-to-speed on important truckstop and travel center industry government affairs activities including the infrastructure bill and NATSO's efforts on the future of transportation energy.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content

The truckstop and travel plaza industry has a long history of investing in alternative fuels, including biodiesel, renewable diesel, natural gas and ethanol. As the Biden Administration prepares to leverage $15 billion for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, fuel retailers are prepared to invest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, advancing the number of electric vehicle charging stations across the United States and lowering the carbon footprint of transportation energy. Kris Kentera, executive sales manager for Blink Charging, joined the podcast to discuss what type and mix of charging equipment makes the most sense for truckstops and travel centers, the average return on investment, grant considerations and much more.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO's Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content and Darren Schulte, NATSO's Vice President, Membership

At NATSO, we are always scanning our members, their customers and the industry for trends. The Truck Stops Here podcast hosts sat down with NATSO contributor and industry veteran Eliote Duarte to dive into some of the trends emerging this summer. With the increase in four-wheel traffic, trucktops and travel centers need to be clean, well-staffed and fully stocked. Duarte shares his expertise on what truckstops and travel centers should be doing to excel.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content and Darren Schulte, NATSO, Vice President Membership

TA Express White Hills, AZ opened its doors in August of 2020. Guy Jackson walked us through the many offerings on the 12 acres, including eight lanes of diesel, 67 truck parking spots, massage chairs, shower, two convenience-stores, a QSR, dog park, and much more, with room to add even more on six additional acres.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content and Darren Schulte, NATSO, Vice President, Membership

Getting professional drivers and car customers inside from the fuel islands is always important in the truckstop and travel center business. This summer, with an expected increase in vacation travel, it will be especially impactful. To increase the likelihood that fueling customers will make the trek inside from the fuel islands, you need to be hitting on all cylinders when it comes to the fundamentals.

Darren Schulte, NATSO's vice president, walks listeners through signage, merchandise and technology ideas to draw customers inside. He also offers ideas on what things people see from the fuel island that might deter them from coming in.

AAA predicted that auto travel on Memorial Day would increase 52 percent compared to 2020, with that increase expected to continue all summer. As the country transitions to our new normal, travel is increasing. Listen to make sure your truckstop is ready.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content

Employee turnover is a top concern among truckstop and travel centers. Low employee retention affects employee morale and productivity and has a negative long-term financial impact on the business. What's more, if a travel center is continuously hiring and training to keep shifts covered, it does not leave much room for growth and development. Eliot Duarte, author of NATSO's Truckstop and Travel Center Employee Retention Guide, shares his retention expertise on this episode of NATSO's podcast. Drawing on his 23 years in the truckstop industry, Duarte provides listeners with ideas to improve employee retention. NATSO's recently created Truckstop and Travel Center Employee Retention Guide 2021 can be found at the NATSO Website.

Hosted by:

Amy Toner, NATSO, Vice President, Publishing and Digital Content and Darren Schulte, NATSO, Vice President, Membership