WWW.NATS O.

C O M

J U LY/AU G U ST 2 014

THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF NATSO, REPRESENTING THE

TRUCKSTOP AND TRAVEL PLAZA INDUSTRY

SERVING THOSE
WHO SERVE
Operators Slice and Dice
Business Data
How Operators Get the
Best Price on Fuel
Meet Chairmans
Circle Members
Independent Operators
Share Successes

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WWW.NATSO.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2014

THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF NATSO, REPRESENTING THE TRUCKSTOP AND TRAVEL PLAZA INDUSTRY

C OVE R STO RY
14 Serving Those
Who Serve
The Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza
Goes Above and Beyond for
Members of the Military

FEATU R E S
08

INDEPENDENT
OPERATORS SHARE
SUCCESSES DURING THE
NATSO SHOW

12

MEET NATSO CHAIRMAN'S

CIRCLE MEMBERS

Chairman
Tom Heinz

Editor
Amy Toner

President & CEO

Lisa J. Mullings

Associate Editor
Mindy Long

Stop Watch is published bimonthly by the NATSO Foundation,

1330 Braddock Place, Suite 501, Alexandria, VA 22314
Copyright 2014 by the NATSO Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, without written permission of the publisher. All editorial materials are acceptable
and published by Stop Watch on the representation that the supplier is authorized to
publish the entire contents and subject matter. Such entities and/or their agents will
defend, indemnify and hold harmless Stop Watch and the NATSO Foundation from and
against any loss, expense or other liability resulting from claims or suits for libel, violation
of privacy, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or suits
resulting from the editorial materials. Periodicals postage 024-723 paid at Alexandria, VA
and other mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Stop Watch, 1330 Braddock Place,
Suite 501, Alexandria, VA 22314

16

21

OPERATORS SLICE
AND DICE DATA FOR
BUSINESS INSIGHTS

D E PARTM E NTS
04

Chairman's Letter
INSPIRE EMPLOYEES
WITH THE SIX MAJOR
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION

MULTIPLE MARKETS
AND SUPPLIERS HELP
OPERATORS GET THE
BEST PRICE ON FUEL

20

Fuel Up on
NATSO Benefits
BIZ BRIEF

06

Great Ideas!
FIVE TIPS FOR
BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE
BULK DISPLAY
FOUR WAYS TO BE A MORE
PRODUCTIVE LEADER AT
YOUR TRUCKSTOP

We Want to Hear From You!

Do you have comments, ideas or suggestions? Dont hesitate to contact us.

The NATSO Foundation
1330 Braddock Place, Suite 501, Alexandria, VA 22314
Email: editor@natso.com / Phone: (703) 549-2100
http://www.facebook.com/NATSOInc / www.natso.com

24

Member Profile
SAPP BROS. ADDS
NATURAL GAS

26

Operator 2 Operator
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE
BUSINESS BOOK?

CHAIRMANS LETTER

Are Theories of Motivation and Investment

in Team Members Linked Today?

A
TOM HEINZ
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

s employers, we strive to have happy employees and reduce our turnover rate. Yet,
many of us fail to thoroughly analyze our compensation packages on a regular basis.
Even if were lucky enough to have turnover rates below the industry average, I think
there is always room to improve. Individualizing our compensation packages may be one
of the best ways to retain and motivate employees. I encourage my fellow operators to look
at the number of motivational theories in industrial psychology and think about how in
depth we as employers link these theories to investment in our team members. Take a look
at the six major theories of motivation and ask yourself if youre focusing on them to provide
maximum benefits for your team members and companies.

SIX MAJOR THEORIES OF MOTIVATION

Are we allowing
slackers to demotivate
other team members?

1
EQUITY THEORY
JOHN ADAMS

ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Address employee motivation and
dissatisfaction as separate issues.
Redesign work and jobs to build
in motivation

THEORY SUMMARY:
People compare themselves
with their peers to see if they
are being treated equitably
and adjust their own
efforts accordingly
ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Make certain that all employees
are treated fairly. Address issues
of inequality immediately

July/August 2014

Are we motivating
members
on all five levels
Are we mitigating team
of need?
members dissatisfaction in
things, such as policies, red
tape and working conditions?
3
HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
ABRAHAM MASLOW

2
TWO FACTOR THEORY
FREDERICK HERZBERG

THEORY SUMMARY:
People are motivated by things
like achievement, recognition,
meaningful work, responsibility
and growth. People are dissatisfied by things like policies,
especially "red tape" and
working conditions

THEORY SUMMARY:
People are motivated by
five levels of needs: (1)
physical, (2) safety, (3)
social, (4) esteem and (5)
self-actualization. As lower level
needs are met, those at higher
levels become more important

ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Address employee motivation
and dissatisfaction as separate
issues. Redesign work and jobs
to build in motivation

ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Address employee motivation
and dissatisfaction as separate
issues. Redesign work and jobs
to build in motivation

CHAIRMANS LETTER
Unfortunately, after asking these questions within our company, we plead guilty to
answering no to some. How does your company answer them?
Regards,

Tom Heinz
Coffee Cup Fuel Stops & Convenience Stores, Inc.
NATSO 2014 Chairman

Are we providing team

members with a sense of
achievement after they achieve
preset goals?

Are we providing team

members opportunities to
succeed while making clear
the links between rewards
and success?

Are we allowing team

members to offer input
when establishing their
measurable goals?

EXPECTANCY THEORY
VICTOR VROOM

5
GOAL SETTING THEORY
GEORGE ODLORNE

4
THREE NEEDS THEORY
DAVID MCCLELLAND

THEORY SUMMARY:
People have three basic needs:
(1) achievment (nAch), (2)
affiliation (nAff) and (3) power
(nPow). A sense of achievement is particularly important
in the workplace

THEORY SUMMARY:
People are motivated when they
participate in setting challenging
goals for themselves,
understand their role in
achieving those goals, and
progress can be determined

ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Set moderately difficult
goals for employees; provide
lots of concrete feedback
regarding achievement

ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Establish measurable
objectives in consulation with
employees; link objectives to
larger company goals provide
regular feedback

THEORY SUMMARY:
People are motivated when they
expect their effort will succeed
in producing a particular
outcome and that outcome has
value for the person
ADVICE TO MANAGERS:
Give employees many
opportunities to succeed;
amply reward success; make
clear the links between
rewards and success
www.natso.com

DARRENS GREAT
Darren Schulte, NATSOs vice president of membership and a retail expert, writes a biweekly retail column on NATSOs
blog. We feature the best here in Stop Watch magazine. Join Schulte on NATSOs website at www.natso.com/great-ideas
to read his digestible retail tips every other Thursday.

FIVE TIPS FOR BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE BULK DISPLAY AT YOUR TRUCKSTOP

If you want to sell product that drives
retail sales, you need to be in the
business. Some locations establish
that they are in the business of a particular category by creating power
aisles. Others create power walls,
but the simplest, easiest to execute
and often the most effective tool is a
bulk-stack program.
As you know, items that sell well in bulk
displays are 40-quart thermoelectric
coolers, gallons of water, additives,
TVs, 12-packs of this and 12-packs of
that, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) jugs,
etc. If you are creative, you can really
bulk stack almost anything.

2.

You really can generate additional sales

if you have the right product properly
merchandised in floor bulk displays.
However, bulk displays can easily go
wrong. Here are five tips for building effective bulk displays to effectively utilize
this type of retail display:
1.

Think of bulk-stack programs like

they are your own department
store windows where shoppers
and buyers alike wonder what
the next visit to your operation
will bring. Be sure to get creativebulk-stack programs allow
you to introduce and test new
products without using up valuable high-performing retail shelf
space. But be smart too. Make
sure they speak to your customers wants and needs.

3.

Bulk displays are great for selling seasonal and holiday items.
Use these highly visible displays
to celebrate holidays with your
customers, endearing them to
you and creating an association
between your location with holiday and seasonal fare. Examples
include deer food during hunting
season, firewood at the beginning
of winter, and 7-Up, ginger ale
and punch bowls during the holiday party season. As always, be
sure to work with your vendor well
in advance of the holiday to create
a great promotional program with
their marketing assistance.
Do not decorate your bulk displays with handwritten signs. Instead, work with your vendor to
create professional, well-done
promotional pieces.

4.

Bulk displays can easily become

a dumping ground. Be sure your
vendors know that they cant
just dump stacks of soda wherever they want in the store. Instead, designate specific areas
for bulk displays. If you need to
raise the product off the sales
floor, ensure that it is not done
simply by turning over some old
crates and displaying merchandise on top of them.

5.

Bulk-stack programs can create multiple destinations within

your retail environment. When
done properly, they can be used
to steer customers to areas
within your retail operation that
are shopped less frequently because they are out of sight and
therefore out of mind.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact NATSO's Member Care Specialist Kimberly Roberts at (703) 739-8573 or kroberts@natso.com
Read six more tips on NATSOs blog at http://www.natso.com/blog/bulkdisplays.
6

July/August 2014

HAVE A RETAIL MERCHANDISING, MARKETING OR OPERATIONS QUESTION? Reach out to Schulte

at dschulte@natso.com or (703) 739-8562 and hell answer your question in the next
Darrens Great Ideas! for Independent Operators.

FOUR WAYS TO BE A MORE PRODUCTIVE LEADER AT YOUR TRUCKSTOP

3. MANAGE VENDORS

While no two days are ever exactly

the same for truckstop and travel
plaza operators, one thing that is consistent is there is never enough time
to get everything done. To succeed,
independent operators need to excel
at the basics while constantly strategizing and innovating for the future.

Managing vendors can suck up a lot

of truckstop operators time. To make
sure this time is productive, here are
some ideas:
Ive never understood why it is status quo in the industry for vendors
to stop by at any time they choose.
Instead, give regular vendors a
specific time slot for them to deliver goods. Be sure to group of all
of these appointments together.

Here are four ideas to help you be a more

productive leader at your truckstop:

1. USE TECHNOLOGY TO SEND

AUTOMATIC UPDATES
Todays point-of-sale systems provide dashboards and automatic updates. Identify a handful of important
metrics that you review and have
them sent to you automatically (see
a related story on data and metrics
on page 16). For example, you can
receive a daily email with your gallon
numbers. Use these updates to stay
focused on the important metrics.
Use calendar reminders to help you
remember key follow-ups and initiatives. Send yourself voicemails,
emails or texts with details, pictures
and reminders. Use the technology at
hand to make you more productive.

2. MAKE THE MOST OF TIME AWAY

FROM THE LOCATION
Most truckstop operators spend their
days putting out fires. Carving out significant chunks of time to get any real
work done is a challenge. With todays
technology, it is easier than ever to
work remotely. You can now keep an
eye on the business directly from your
smartphone using an inexpensive security camera system, for example.
During working hours our focus is tactical. When you are away from work the
freedom from the fire allows for improved strategic thinking. It is difficult to
think big picture when the course of the
day forces you to be in the weeds, so
finding a time to be strategic is the key
to successful big picture thinking. Do
your strategizing and critical thinking on
your way to work or on your way home
on a regular basis. Or if you would just
rather blast out in the car on your commute, do it before you start or end your
day. This allows you to prepare for the
day as you arrive and decompress from
the day as you depart.

Make sure vendors know they must

call at least 24 hours in advance.
That way you can plan for their arrival and block out time so you can
give them your full attention. Ideally have them email information on
new or sale items before visiting so
you can prepare.
Also, dont forget to collaborate
with vendors to increase your
truckstop sales.

4. CALL A COLLEAGUE FOR ADVICE

Whenever you are stuck, there is
always another manager to call for
advice. Get to know your colleagues at
The NATSO Show 2015, Feb. 1619
at the Wynn Las Vegas.

READ FOUR MORE TIPS on NATSOs blog at http://www.natso.com/blog/productivetruckstopleaders.

www.natso.com

INDEPENDENT OPERATORS
SHARE IDEAS FOR GROWTH
AND CUTTING COSTS
DURING
BY MINDY LONG

Independent truckstop and travel plaza operators are

constantly seeking out new products, great ideas and the
latest business innovations. But NATSO members arent just
in search of new ideas, theyre more than willing to share
them with their peers.
Hundreds of truckstop and travel plaza operators
gathered together for The NATSO Show 2014 in Nashville,
Tenn., and ideas were everywhere.
Whether they were presenting on a panel, chatting
on the show floor or striking up a conversation between
sessions, operators shared their ideas for growth as well
as cutting costs.

Independent Operators Share Great Ideas for GROWTH

Operators shared their stories about the new programs and innovations that are helping their locations succeed.
IMPROVING OPERATIONS ISNT JUST ABOUT SELLING MORE PRODUCTS, IT IS ALSO ABOUT CUTTING COSTS.

LONDON AUTO TRUCK

London Auto Trucks Chris
Sanders said he is known
for thinking outside of the
box. Sanders has boosted
his profits by adding new
products and finding new
ways to sell the products
his location was already
known for.

July/August 2014

ROAST BEEF TO GO
London Auto Truck is well
known for its roast beef in
its restaurant, so Sanders
is capitalizing on it. Ive
taken the roast beef were
famous for and sliced it deli
thin and packaged it to sell.
Were doing the same with
ham and cheeses, he said.

IDEAS FROM THE NORTH

AND SOUTH
Sanders told Stop Watch
that some of his best ideas
have come from simply
talking with his customers.
I found out that a lot of
customers that stop at my
location are from Ohio and
Michigan. Instead of just
looking at what is selling
regionally, I started talking to
my vendor and asked about
what is selling well in Ohio
and Michigan, Sanders said.
As a result, he brought
in a certain brand of chips,
Grippos, that sell well in Ohio.
They sell like hotcakes.
They sell so well that now I
have four linear feet with the
whole gondola full of those
chips, Sanders said.

Sanders also discovered

that while his local
customers like milder
tasting products, people
north of him like things
spicy. I brought in more of
the flaming hot and that is
selling really well, he said.

CANDIES AND COCONUT WATER

Among out-of-town
shoppers at London Auto
Truck, nostalgia candies sell
well as does coconut water.
You cant please everybody,
but you can take a look
at who is stopping at your
store. Since Ive done that,
my sales last year were up
1015 percent depending
on the category and this
year Im looking to be up
2022 percent over last
year, Sanders said.

It is great to support your local farmers

and growers and those that are trying
to do something different.
COREY BERKSTRESSER
LEE HI TRAVEL PLAZA

LEE HI TRAVEL PLAZA

REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

Corey Berkstresser of Lee

Hi Travel Plaza has found
success with regional
offerings. We are trying to
appeal to people that are
traveling and looking for
that unique gift, he said.
We have cheese made five
miles away, apple butter
made by the local volunteer
fire department and honey
that is made five miles
away.
Berkstresser also sells
Virginia peanuts and, during
certain times of the year,
salted Virginia hams. Were
trying to work with our
local artisans, he said. It is
great to support your local
farmers and growers and
those that are trying to do
something different.
Fried pies have become
a best seller at Lee Hi
Travel Plaza. A Mennonite

bakery delivers the pies

twice a week.
Berkstresser
recommended that other
operators think of what
their state or local area is
famous for. You have to
remember your market.
These people arent
around you all the time,
Berkstresser said.

ONE-OF-A-KIND CRAFTS
Lee Hi also sells postcards
an employee creates. We
have a girl that works for us
and she takes pictures of
the area and makes her own
black and white postcards.
That is an item you arent
going to find anywhere
else, Berkstresser said.

HOMETOWN SOUVENIRS

FULL-SERVICE PUMPS

Berkstresser has also

found that people want
to purchase items that
market the town as well as
the truckstop. Lexington,
Va., is the home of the
Virginia Military Institute
and Washington Lee
University. Students often
visit the location. After
they graduate they come
back for alumni weekends.
All the guys come in and
say, I used to come here
all of the time. They want
a Lee Hi t-shirt or hat. I
sell 250 shirts a month,
Berkstresser said.

Another way Berkstresser

differentiates the location
is by offering full service
at the fuel islands. We
pump the fuel and wash
the windows. It is an extra
service and it gives the
driver an opportunity to
come inside the store, grab
a cup of coffee and a fried
pie, he said.

www.natso.com

Independent Operators Share

Great Ideas for CUTTING COSTS

TEN MORE
GREAT IDEAS FROM

IMPROVING OPERATIONS ISNT JUST ABOUT SELLING

MORE PRODUCTS, IT IS ALSO ABOUT CUTTING COSTS.

During the Great Ideas Session for Independent

Operators at The NATSO Show 2014, operators
told each other some of the things they plan to try
throughout the year to boost their profitability. Here
are ten ideas that were heard around the room:

HIGHLANDS PETRO

LEE HI TRAVEL PLAZA

Matt Albrecth with

Highlands Petro was able to
cut his electric bill in half in
certain areas of the business
by installing new energyefficient lights. For example,
in the shop they went to
energy efficient lights and
installed motion sensors to
automatically turn off lights
when some areas werent
being used.
Albrecth worked with
a consultant who helped
him measure their existing
light and provide insights
on upgrades. We did the
analysis and saw the energy
savings, he said, adding that
after they upgraded lighting
in the shop, they upgraded
lighting at the canopy and at
the fuel islands.

Lee Hi was able to increase

revenue by renting what
once was an empty office
to a local trucking company.
We had extra space and
now they have a hub here,
Berkstresser said.
Berkstresser encourages
other operators to look
around their locations to
see if there is any wasted
space that they could
capitalize on. We made a
campground out of a hilly
area that we werent using.
It is an additional service to
the traveler, he said, adding
that people who stay in
the campground purchase
camping supplies from the
travel store and also eat in
the restaurant.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTS

PROFITS FROM EMPTY SPACE

INSIDE AND OUTSIDE

SAVE THE DATE

FOR THE NATSO SHOW 2015

The NATSO Show 2015 promises to bring more
independent operator great ideas sharing. Save the
date to attend February 1619 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Visit www.natsoshow.org for more information.

10

July/August 2014

Implement a loyalty card.

Cut services that are slow at certain times and cut
down the number of optionsyou dont need 20
types of peanuts.
Add more and improve on healthy food options.
Get rid of things that arent selling.
Find new ways to incentivize employees either with
profit sharing or an increase in sales
incentive motivations.
Train employees for better customer service
and up selling.
Prepackage food from the restaurant and sell it as a
grab-and-go and purchase bulk vegetables and put
them in cups for grab-and-go.
Hire someone to handle social media.
Increase quick-service restaurant offerings.
Implement a card that will turn on the pump for
people who want to pay cash so they dont have to
come inside and pay before fueling.

Is Uncertainty Holding You Hostage?

Every employer, no matter what size, has to deal
with human resource issues, regulations, and
employment law changes. Contact your local
marketing representative to learn how Federated
Insurance can help you address issues such as
hiring, firing, and disciplinary actions with an
employee handbook building tool, sample
policies and procedures, and access to
independent employment law attorneys.
Visit www.federatedinsurance.com to find a
representative near you.

*Not licensed in the states of NH, NJ, RI, and VT.

2014 Federated Mutual Insurance Company

CAT Scale Co.

CAT
SCALE

Delia Moon Meier

515 Sterling Drive
Walcott, IA 52773
(563) 284-6263
(563) 284-6475
delia.meier@iowa80group.com
www.catscale.com

Double Coin Tire

Walter Weller
406 E. Huntington Drive,
Suite 200
Monrovia, CA 91016
(626) 500-8452
(626) 301-9579
walter.weller@cmaintl.com
www.doublecointires.com
Federated Insurance

Chevron Products Co.

Global Lubricants-Americas Region

Patty Looney
394 S.W. 27th Terrace
Delray, FL 33445
(561) 632-7347
(561) 921-0367
plooney@chevron.com
www.deloperformance.com
Coca-Cola Refreshments
Brenntag North America

Bill Buzbee
5083 Pottsville Pike
Reading, PA 19605
(615) 631-9961
(615) 349-3529
bbuzbee@brenntag.com
www.brenntagdef.com

J. T. McMahan
2500 Windy Ridge Pkwy.
Atlanta, GA 30339
(770) 200-8892
(770) 989-3565
jmcmahan@coca-cola.com
www.thecoca-colacompany.com
DAS Companies Inc.

Bridgestone Commercial Solutions

Roger Phillips
535 Marriott Drive, 8th Floor
Nashville, TN 37214
(615) 937-3405
(615) 493-2712
phillipsroge@bfusa.com
www.trucktires.com

12

July/August 2014

Gordon Price
724 Lawn Road
Palmyra, PA 17078
(717) 507-0363, or
corporate office:
(800) 251-9104 ext. 259
(800) 842-1992
gprice@dasinc.com
www.dasinc.com

Jerry Leemkuil
121 E. Park Square
Owatonna, MN 55060
(507) 455-5507
(507) 455-7840
jjleemkuil@fedins.com
www.federatedinsurance.com
First Data

Dan Hudson
5565 Glenridge Connector NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(703) 398-5831
(402) 315-5452
dan.hudson@firstdata.com
www.firstdata.com
Gilbarco Veeder-Root

Dena Lee
P.O. Box 22087
Greensboro, NC 27410
(336) 547-5114
dena.lee@gilbarco.com
www.gilbarco.com
Howes Lubricator

Stephen Sikorsky
60 Ocean State Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
(401) 294-5500
(401) 294-4229
steves@howeslube.com
www.howeslube.com

KSG Distributing Inc.

Orion Food Systems

S&D Coffee & Tea

Don Paddock
1121 Flint Meadow Drive
Kaysville, UT 84037
(801) 390-3820
(801) 991-1821
dpaddock@ksgdist.com
www.ksgdist.com

Todd Friese
2930 W. Maple St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57107-0745
(605) 838-7887
todd.friese@hsfl.com
www.orionfoods.com

McLane Co. Inc.

Paragon Solutions Inc.

Jim Edmonson
300 Concord Parkway S.
Concord, NC 28027
(800) 933-2210
(336) 664-0009
edmonson@sndcoffee.com
or
John Morris
(800) 933-2210
(804) 794-2725
morrisj@sndcoffee.com
www.sndcoffee.com

Steve Brady
4747 McLane Parkway
Temple, TX 76504
(254) 771-7064
(254) 771-7097
steve.brady@mclaneco.com
www.mclaneco.com
Michelin North America

Josh Jarvis
One Parkway South
Greenville, SC 29615
(864) 458-4574 or (505) 307-8797
josh.jarvis@us.michelin.com
www.michelintruck.com

Michael Lawshe
201 Main St., Suite 1150
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817-927-7171 ext. 201
(817) 927-8131
mlawshe@paragon4design.com
www@paragon4design.com
Randall-Reilly Publishing

Robert Lake
3200 Rice Mine Road N.E.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
(205) 248-1235
(205) 345-0958
rlake@rrpub.com
www.rrpub.com

Mobil Delvac
Renewable Energy Group

Craig Barr
1031 N.W. 43rd Ave.
Camas, WA 98607
(360) 601-9797
(280) 445-2299
craig.w.barr@exxonmobil.com
www.mobildelvac.com

Jon Scharingson
416 S. Bell Ave.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 239-8042
(515) 509-1259
jon.scharingson@regi.com
www.regi.com

Shell Lubricants

Christian Peters
910 Louisiana
Houston, TX 77002
(731) 241-2571
(281) 482-4189
john.peters2@shell.com
www.rotella.com
The Truckers FriendNational Truck
Stop Directory

Robert de Vos
P.O. Box 476
Clearwater, FL 33757
(727) 446-2866
(727) 443-4921
rdevos@truckstops.com
www.truckstops.com
Valvoline

Gigi Rollins
c/o Bobbi Brophy
3499 Blazer Parkway
Lexington, KY 40509
(843) 793-8490
(859) 357-2359
grollins@ashland.com
www.valvolinehd.com
www.natso.com

13

FOUNDATION UPDATE

Serving Those Who Serve

BY MINDY LONG
embers of the military are committed to serving their country,
and the nations truckstops and
travel plazas often go above and beyond to serve the soldiers who stop at
their locations.
Earlier this year, the Sacramento
49er Travel Plaza, Sacramento, had
more than 2,000 members of the
Army pass through its doors in a threeday period. To serve them, Tristen
Griffith, general manager at the location, worked with the troop coordinator, created troop specials and stocked
extra supplies. Whats more, she did it
all with only two days notice.
After the initial panic, we amped
up our staffing, ordered in extra hot
dogs, went out and purchased cell
phone chargers, and then strategized on how to filter them through
the store and bathrooms, she said.

14

July/August 2014

A total of 50 busses with about 40

soldiers on each arrived over three
days. The soldiers deployment overseas had been canceled and they
were being reassigned from Barstow
military base to an Army base in
Washington State.
Griffith said there have never
been that many people in the location at once. We were so impressed
by their courtesy and politeness.
Because of this, we never realized
there were 250 people in the store
at once, she said.
The troops lined up outside the
location and then made their way
through the store and restrooms.
We opened up several of our showers just so we had more restroom
stalls, Griffith said.
After the first bus arrival, Griffith
and her staff realized that all of the
soldiers wanted to charge their cell
phones while they waited, so they
brought out extension cords with
multiple outlets. They hung out in
our restaurant and game room near

FOUNDATION UPDATE

Whether locations are serving busloads of

troops, soldiers passing through or military
veterans, there are several ways they can
show their support for those who either are
serving or have served. Here are a few ideas:
Encourage your employees to express
thanks whenever they see someone in
uniform or a veteran.
Create military specials that you can offer
on patriotic holidays, such as the Fourth of
July or Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
Owner Terry Rust welcomes several members of the Army.

the outlets as well, she said. They

were very thankful.
Before the soldiers arrived, Sacramento 49er worked with the troop
coordinator to create and promote
troop specials on candy bars, hot
dogs, Pop Tarts and drinks. Griffith
said portable cell phone chargers
were a popular item among the soldiers, as were food items. There
was a mix between those that purchased healthier foods/drinks and
sodas/candy bars, she said.
In addition to serving the busloads of soldiers, staff at Sacramento
49er continued to serve professional drivers and the traveling public.
Griffith said her customers were
supportive of the troops.
A lot of the truckers were giving
fist pumps and a couple even gave
hugs as they were former troops,
she said. In fact, we were going to

move one of the drivers to the front

of the line so he didnt have to wait,
and the trucker said, Absolutely
not! That is not right. They must
go first.

Organize a care-package party and provide

a location for customers to drop off items
you can send to those stationed overseas.
The group Blue Star Moms (http://www.
bluestarmothers.org) can help you coordinate with soldiers who could use a package.
Accept financial donations for the USO
(http://www.uso.org), which provides
care packages and other support for
members of the military.
Provide staff with time off to visit a veterans hospital.
Hold a special lunch for members of your
staff who have served in the military.
Work with your local VA to generate ideas
on how you can honor veterans in your
community.

www.natso.com

15

OPERATORS
SLICE AND DICE DATA

for Business Insights

Business owners have data

coming at them from a number
of sources. While information is
good, it isnt enough. Operators
need to analyze and act on the
data in order to gain a competitive
advantage over their peers.
BY MINDY LONG

16

July/August 2014

nformation is everywhere and the

number of sources producing information is constantly increasing.
Big dataa popular term used to
describe the growth and availability
of both structured and unstructured
informationis changing the way
many companies operate. Todays
operators are relying on insights
from their customers, internal processes and business operations to uncover new opportunities for growth.
The challenge with any data set
is converting it into useable information by identifying patterns and
deviations from those patterns. By
analyzing both internal and external
sources of data, operators are able to
better understand their customers,
identify trends and predict sales.

Data in a snapshot is almost

meaningless. It is the trend analysis
that is the most important thing to
do with data, said Tom Heinz, president of Coffee Cup Fuel Stops Inc.
Heinz reviews data and business metrics daily and looks at the
numbers year over year, month over
month or even broken down by the
time of day, he said.
There are many ways to look at
metrics, comparisons and ratios,
and the data operators should look
at depends on what theyre trying
to understand, said Darren Schulte,
vice president of membership for
NATSO.
For example, looking at sales and
customer counts by time of day
helps Heinz build his staffing ma-

trix. Since weve been refining our

labor matrix, we go back and refine
them by the hour.
Examining the bi-weekly payroll
dollars versus sales numbers in the
departments can help operators stay
ahead of over/under staffing. Some
people use their gut feeling when
doing their schedule, but you can
look at the sales data to see when
you are the busiest, Schulte said.
But, just because most of your
sales data is from a certain day, that
doesnt mean it is your busiest day.
Deanne Schatz-Eisenschenk, operations manager of the Petro Stopping Center in Fargo, N.D., monitors her profit and loss statement
monthly to look at margin percentages and if gross profit margin dollars are increasing or decreasing. She
also looks at fuel volume/deal reports
and inventory-on-hand versus sales.
One of the biggest mistakes operators make is forgetting how revealing some of their data can be.
Often times you may look at the
number but not focus on the trend
of that category, Heinz said.
For example, during the Great
Ideas session at The NATSO Show,
executives from WaWa said the
two metrics they look at daily are
transaction count and gross profit.
Those two matrixes are critical,
Heinz said. If they keep going up,
youre doing something right.
Operators can dig a little deeper
to look at what the numbers really
mean. You may look at your gasoline sales and see that youre super
busy on a particular day but then
realize that on that day, 90 percent
of your transactions or more were
paying at the pump, Schulte said.
When looking at data, operators
should examine weekly sales and

transactional data. Direct comparisons can reveal a lot, but operators

need to be careful. You may be
looking at a Tuesday this year that
was a Saturday last year. When you
do comparisons be sure to understand what youre really looking at,
Schulte said.

QUICK TIP: Data itself doesnt provide

value, but its analysis does. NATSO members
are looking at their information in a number
of ways to identify trends and gain insights
into new products and services that are
boosting sales and increasing profits.

UNCOVERING THE DATA

While there are a number of data
sources operators can tap into,
Schulte said that often times, less
is more. He recommends operators
start by looking at their most accessible data first.
Most POS systems already have
some sort of a reporting tool, and
Schulte recommends operators first
look at what their systems can do.
Look at the simple data you get
off of your current point-of-sale or
other system. It can be something as
simple as tracking your daily sales,
the number of no sales your register
has, how much fuel is in your tank
or your inventory in your food service area, Schulte said.
Then figure out the top 10
things are that are important for
you to look at daily (for ideas, see
sidebar) and create a report or put

them in a spreadsheet. Even if your

system cant put the information together for you, it is still collecting
it, Schulte said.
Schulte said most operators tend
to think more data is better, but
they may already have all of the information they need. It is important to remember that even without
sophisticated point-of-sale (POS)
systems, each of the operators in
our industry has a plethora of data
that they can capture, he said.
In addition to data collected
from the POS, a large amount of
data can be collected just by asking, observing and simply tracking
on pen and paper.
Often times, vendors can supply
locations with their purchasing report, but in order for that report to
be helpful, operators need to compare the data with their internal reports. If you dont actually go the
extra mile and do some hard-core
comparisons to what you actually
sold by using your back-office system, you dont really have anything
other than what you bought. You
have to use that data to figure out
how to compare it and balance it
with whats sold, Schatz said.
Schulte said that all vendors
should be providing operators with
some type of review that shows
trends in a particular region. They
will not share the names of the
competition, but what they can do
is color code the competition and
show comparisons with Store A,
Store B and Store C. They should
also be able to share regional, national and local information with
you, Schulte said. A quarterly review is the best way to do it, but at
least once a year.
www.natso.com

17

Metrics Operators Should Measure Daily and Monthly

While simply collecting data does not improve a locations profitability,
it does create actionable takeaways. To ensure those takeaways are
meaningful, operators should review certain metrics on both a daily and a
monthly basis. Darren Schulte, NATSOs vice president of membership,
recommends operators tap into this data on a daily basis:
1. Fuel gallons sold for both diesel and gasoline compared to the daily
average, budget and last year.

Numbers never lie. You can make decisions on

what is or isnt selling based on real numbers
that actually ran through your till, and then
decide if its time to either move something to
another area, get rid of something, etc.
DEANNE SCHATZ-EISENSCHENK
OPERATIONS MANAGER
PETRO STOPPING CENTER, FARGO, N.D.

2. Retail sales compared to the daily average, budget and to last year.
3. Food service sales compared the daily average, budget and
to last year.
4. Retail inventory level daily and compared to last year.
5. Invoice deliveries, including fuel deliveries.
6. Labor ratio to sales.
7. Returns.
8. Voids, no sales, item corrections and drawer open too long.
9. Average ticket/sale per register, shift and overall day in
each profit center.
10. Transaction counts compared to last year in each profit center and as
a total.

But, it doesnt stop there...

Schulte also recommends these simple yet effective monthly metrics:
11. Gross margin dollar and percent comparison in all categories
compared to last year and budget. You may also want to consider
looking at fuel profitability as a percent instead of cents per gallon.
12. Total labor cost [benefits, training, etc.] comparison to last year and
budget by profit center.
13. Inventory shrink variation compared to last year and budget.
14. Comparable sales for all profit centers including shop, quick-service
restaurants, restaurants, etc., as well as to budget.
15. Profit and revenue dollars comparison for other income to last year
and budget, includes ATM, video arcade, showers, parking, etc.
16. Fuel margin per gallon compared to last year and to budget.
17. Total operating expenses divided by total fuel gallons sold.
18

July/August 2014

USING DATA TO INSPIRE ACTION

While information is king, operators
should ask themselves if theyre collecting data for the sake of collecting
it or if they are acting on it.
Collection of data does not make
you a better operator and collecting
data because everyone else is doing
it does not make you more profitable. It is the collection of data that
is actionable and that you execute
makes you a better and more profitable operator, Schulte said.
Schatz-Eisenschenk uses her data
to influence future business decisions. Numbers never lie, she
said, adding that operators have all
the data that really matters inside
their store or their back office. You
can make decisions on what is or
isnt selling based on real numbers
that actually ran through your till,
and then decide if its time to either
move something to another area,
get rid of something, etc.
The sheer amount of data operators
have coming in from multiple sources
can be overwhelming. To keep his data
organized, Heinz uses a pro-forma ma-

trix he built himself. The back-office

systems also come with a lot of menu
driven reports, he said.
Schatz-Eisenschenk organizes her
data by month and divides it into
the categories that drive her business.
Meaning I keep a file on Pepsi/Coke,
Frito Lay, RJ Reynolds, Philip Morris
and our grocer, she said, adding that
while she cant do anything about the
margins on some of the items, she can
maximize profits on her grocery items.
She does that by maximizing the space
allocated to those products, including
private-label waters, deli foods made in
house and grocer specials.
For Schatz-Eisenschenk it is also important to know who her customers
are. She looks at data from PRS every
month. They detail our fuel transactions down to the company and to the
profit off of that company, and you
can adjust those deals based on usage
or whatever your fuel discount strategy
is or isnt, she said.
Schatz-Eisenschenk said the report
is an excellent tool even for operators
who dont have fuel deals in place to
see who is fueling at the location and
who is using a fleet card. It helps identify which customers you should connect with either to deepen your business relationship or if you want input
on ways to improve, she said.

USING BIG DATA TO MAKE SENSE OF YOUR DATA

Not only does Heinz look at internal
data sources, he also reads a variety
of publications to stay current on national and global news. Reading the
papers lets you to keep a pulse of what
is going on, he said. In todays environment you cant just look at what
is going on in your own company.
You have to look at what is going on
in your market, your state, the nation
and the globe.

To help operators stay current on

industry-related news, the NATSO Foundations Biz Brief compiles the latest news on topics such
as leadership, freight logistics and
economic indicators that either do
or will affect truckstop and travel
plaza operations. The briefs provide the daily business intelligence via
email, and operators can sign up at
http://www.natso.com/natsofoundation
(learn more about Biz Brief on page 20).

The NATSO Foundations Biz Brief compiles

the latest news on topics such as
leadership, freight logistics and economic
indicators that either do or will affect
truckstop and travel plaza operations.
SIGN UP AT HTTP://WWW.NATSO.COM/BIZBRIEF

While Heinz looks at his internal

data on traffic counts, if he sees that
something is changing, he takes it a
step further and taps into external data
sources to understand why.
For example, if heavy-truck traffic counts are down, Heinz turns to
the Department of Transportation to
compare trends within his locations
to overall traffic trends. I also go to
the scales and ask what is the traffic
count doing year over year at the scale
and theyll tell me. Car traffic is the
same way. They have counters set up
throughout the state and you can look
at the overall data, Heinz said.
When Heinz sees shifts in gas volume, he looks at the trends in the average miles per gallon for new vehicles.
You can talk to the car dealers or walk

the car dealer lot and see what the new

mileages are on the stickers, he said.
Heinz also turns to industry and
business magazines to stay current
on overall data. I look at Transport
Topics and other periodicals to see
what new truck sales are doing. The
average number of new truck sales
indicates what is going to go on with
diesel volumes and DEF volumes,
he said.
Heinz also turns to national data to
keep current on labor trends. Naturally they put the labor reports out
every two weeks on the national level.
They have local labor statistics and
what is going on in different markets.
It is good to know how that trend is
going to know where your pay scale is
and if your pay scale is right for your
market, he said.
Heinz also keeps an eye on the price
of crude oil prices. I look at what direction crude is going every day. That
sets the cost of both of our major commoditiesgas and diesel, he said.
For several years Heinz has been
following railroad trends. The
Bakken oil field in North Dakota
and the amount of oil being moved
by rail is changing transportation in
the Midwest, Heinz said.
The widening of the Panama Canal and how much money theyre
spending revamping the ports on the
East Coast tell us that shipping is going to be changing, Heinz said.
Schulte said that whatever ratios,
comparisons and metrics operators
are going to look at, they should
look at them regularly without fail.
If they are daily metrics, then you
view them and discuss the findings
with members of the management/
staff daily. The same applies to
weekly and or monthly metrics you
review, he said.
www.natso.com

19

NEW MEMBERS
FUEL UP ON NATSO BENEFITS

BY AMY TONER

WE KNOW NATSO MEMBERS dont have tons of time to research

all the knowledge resources and business solutions
NATSO offers. It is a good thing we are experts in all things
NATSO. Read on to learn about just one of the many
resources NATSO provides.

BIZ BRIEF
In todays information-overloaded business world, we often find ourselves deluged with literally hundreds of news
items from dozens of sources. While it
is likely impossible to read every article
and remain productive, by not doing
so we risk missing the one article that
could change a key business practice or
thought process. And that is where the
NATSO Foundations Biz Brief provides
assistance! The NATSO Foundation's
Biz Brief is a daily collection of the most
relevant business intelligence for truckstop and travel plaza operators.
Biz Brief is the latest tool in the
foundations arsenal of programs and
products aimed at strengthening travel
plazas ability to meet the needs of the
traveling public through improved
operational performance and business
planning.
Delivered daily via email, Biz Brief
is specifically designed to deliver daily
business intelligence for the truckstop
and travel plaza community of owners
and operators.
As editor of Biz Brief, Roger Cole scans hundreds of news sources daily
to curate a condensed set of articles on topics such as leadership, freight
logistics and economic indicators.
NATSO members can sign-up to receive Biz Brief daily at
http://www.natso.com/bizbrief.

20

July/August 2014

NEW TRAVEL PLAZA MEMBERS

CST BRANDS INC.
One Valero Way, Bldg. D, Suite 200
San Antonio, TX 78249
PHONE: (210) 692-2226
CONTACT: Cindy Henderson

FREEWAY 147 (FLYING J DEALER #511)

3825 Business Loop
Mandan, NE 58554
PHONE: (701) 663-6922
CONTACT: Lyle Wood

KLAPPERSCHLANGE LLC
(PILOT DEALER #871)
473 Suedburg Rd.
Pine Grove, PA 17963
PHONE: (570) 915-6644
CONTACT: Tina DAgostino

NEW ALLIED MEMBERS

BELL PLANTATION
7902 Magnolia Industrial Blvd.
Tifton, GA 31794
PHONE: (229) 387-7238
FAX: (229) 391-6039
CONTACT: Jill St. John
EMAIL: jill@bellplantation.com
WEBSITE: www.bellplantation.com

MOHAWK HOME
3032 Sugar Valley Road, NW
Sugar Valley, GA 30746
PHONE: (865) 310-3838
FAX: 706-625-9329
CONTACT: Wes Milstead
EMAIL: wes_milstead@mohawkind.com
WEBSITE: www.mohawkhome.com

K&S UNIQUE LLC

3468 Webster Ave.
Perris, CA 92571
PHONE: (951) 657-8411
FAX: (951) 657-8812
CONTACT: Ken Neiswonger
EMAIL: kneiswo215@msn.com
WEBSITE: www.knsunique.com

Multiple
Markets
and
Suppliers
Help
Operators
Get the
Best Price
on Fuel
BY MINDY LONG

Diesel fuel and gasoline are the lifeblood of a

truckstop and travel plaza. Not only are they
high-priced items, there is little margin, so
finding the best price on each load is crucial.
Plus, operators need to keep a steady supply
flowing and work to minimize disruptions during
periods of peak demand or bad weather.

iesel fuel and gasoline are too important to truckstop

and travel plaza operations to leave the purchasing
up to chance. Operators said they are working with
multiple suppliers, utilizing contracts and securing lines
of credit to ensure they always have product available and
are getting it at a good rate.
Operators said one of the most important things they
do to ensure ample product at the best price is to establish relationships with more than one supplier.

www.natso.com

21

Mark Augustine, president of

Triplett Inc., has supply agreements with at least a different dozen suppliers at the terminals near
him. We make sure we have all of
the options open, he said.
Dolores Santos, a sales executive with Axxis Software, an OPIS
company, suggests operators study
their market to find out what terminals and spot markets supply
their sites. Do your homework on
the suppliers in your market. Run
a rack price history for the city or
cities you buy in to see how they
price their product relative to other suppliers, she said, adding that
services, such as OPIS and Platts,
can provide detailed historical information.
Once operators get that information, they can use it to identify
who supplies products at the terminals they typically buy from and
contact the sales representative for
each company to learn more about
them. Santos suggests operators ask
for references and talk to other customers that buy from the supplier.
Find out how they operate and if
their values match yours, she said.
Then, operators should try to
build relationships and establish
credit with the suppliers in their
markets that are the best matches
for their business, Santos said.
In addition to looking at their
closest suppliers, operators should
also look at their entire region.
They need to look at their market
and surrounding markets for backup. I would look at a 100-mile radius to see what backup terminals
are out there, Santos said. When
they go to look for contracts, they
need to look at their area and see
22

July/August 2014

the racks they pull from and then

see the next closest terminal.
Operators can find pipeline maps
on the governments National Pipeline Mapping System at https://
www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/. You
can also use Google to find them.
You dont have to be an expert, but
you have to know where your product comes from, Santos said.

In addition to looking at their

closest suppliers, operators
should look at their entire
region, Santos said.
Dan Alsaker, president of Broadway Flying J, said it is important for
operators to look at multiple markets. You have to go look for them
and you have to establish relationships, but it is vital to have those
kinds of choices, he said. We have
refineries and we have rail. The new
thing has been the efficiency and
availability of refined rail cars and
they can come from anywhere.
Alsaker said he has some very old
and reliable relationships, but he is
constantly vetting out new opportunities. Maybe 10 percent of new
opportunities we look at ever get to
fruition, he said.

BRANDED VS. UNBRANDED

Operators said their purchasing strategies differ depending on if theyre
branded or unbranded.
Augustine said that since hes unbranded, he tries to find the lowestcost supplier for the load he is procuring for the day. The benefit of being
unbranded is that you have more
options as far as procuring product.
Youre not locked into one supplier

and youre not paying a premium for

that product because of the brand,
he said. If youre branded, that strategy doesnt work because they lock in
the price daily for you.
Alsaker is branded on his gasoline. Were locked into the branded
price at the closest rack and there is
no choice and no bargaining, he
said. On the unbranded side, my
recommendation to independents is
to look at multiple targets.
When Alsaker operated his location in Williams, Iowa, 70 miles
north of Des Moines, he had multiple pulling points he could use.
We had the influence of the Mississippi River. We had some refineries in Minnesota and we had the
Magellan Pipeline. That was somewhat of a direct line from the Gulf
Coast, Alsaker said. Wed watch
the cold weather, stormy weather,
the value of the dollar and multiple origination sites to determine
where to buy.
Alsaker said he monitors the
trading price of oil all day, and
pays particular attention as the
markets open and close. I tend
to look at it hard in the morning
before I buy6:00 Pacific is 9:00
Eastern, he said. In the afternoon
Im watching those markets move
and theyre closing depending on
the time zone. There wont be any
trading until the next morning, so
I know that is solid.
There are several sources where
business owners can watch trading prices of oil, including CNN
Money at http://money.cnn.com/
data/commodities/.
Augustine also monitors prices
and tries to purchase when he has a
good deal. If prices are increasing,
he tries to squeeze in a few extra

loads before the price goes up. If

it is going down, you try to wait a
bit, he said.

There are several sources

where business owners can
watch trading prices of oil,
including CNN Money at
http://money.cnn.com/data/
commodities/.
In order to get the best price,
Santos said operators shouldnt be
afraid to ask for a discount. If you
are willing to pay soonerthree
to five daysmaybe you can get a
prompt-pay discount of .501.0
percent. Or for very ratable volume,
maybe you can ask for and possibly
get $.005$.01 a gallon off the low
posted rack with product, she said.
Santos added, If you have enough
ratable volume to put out to bid,
publish a request for proposal. Send
it to the main suppliers in your market. That could include refiners and
super jobbers.

SUPPLY CONTRACTS
Even if operators dont go out for
a bid, Santos suggests they set up
supply contracts for a certain percentage of their volume based on a
benchmark, such as OPIS, Platts or
Argus. It helps guarantee supply and
the price is published and verifiable
for both parties, she explained, adding that the contract volume would
be somewhere between 40 to 60 percent of the monthly total volume.
One thing a supply contract does
is guarantee that youll get some
product. It helps you get assurance
of supply, Santos said. That assur-

ance can be particularly helpful if

there are disruptions from weather, power outages or other events.
Things happen. It doesnt happen
all the time but you have to be prepared in the event something goes
wrong so you can still get fuel.
Santos said operators should
keep in rhythm with the trends of
the season. She said, Diesel is impacted by planting and the harvest
season. In the spring, diesel demand
goes up so the prices go up. It levels
out and then goes up again in the
fall when people start harvesting.

A CHECKLIST OF FUEL PURCHASING

BEST PRACTICES

Diesel is impacted by planting

and the harvest season.
In the spring, diesel demand
goes up so the prices go up.
It levels out and then goes up
again in the fall when people
start harvesting.

Research all suppliers within

your area.

Augustine contracts some gallons

three to four weeks before major
holidays. Well look at the trend of
the price of fuel for those holiday
runs. The price typically tends to
increase the week of the holiday,
he said.
With contracts, Santos suggests
operators spell out the terminal,
what the freight and surcharges will
be, what the markup will be and
what the discount is.
The combination of multiple
suppliers and some contracted supply gives the operator the ability to
buy on dips in the market while still
having their main supply contract
in place for a percent of their demand, Santos said.

Establish a line of credit with

multiple suppliers.

Look at all of the suppliers

who serve your area.
Consider your options for
pulling from a different
location in the event of a
supply disruption or a low
price that offsets the cost
of freight.

Ask for a discount for quick

payment.
Consider putting the freight
business out for a bid on a
regular basis.
Confirm freight rates on
contracted supply.
Watch the seasons and trends
to help better predict pricing.
Consider purchasing a portion
of the product on the spot
market and a portion with
supply contracts.

www.natso.com

23

Sapp Bros Adds

+

24

July/August 2014

Sapp Bros. first location opened on June 7, 1971, in Omaha, Neb. Today there are 16 travel centers located in eight states.

rom the beginning, the company has always embraced new

ideas and technology that would
improve its offerings and better

use the locations. For the Lincoln,

Neb., location, they also partnered
with United Farmers Cooperative,
and in Columbus, Neb., they part-

In addition to finding a good

partner, Quinn recommends hiring a contractor who really knows
the special construction codes.

Natural Gas
meet its customers needs. With
this focus in mind, this year they
added natural gas to one location in
Lincoln, Neb., and are working on
installing the second in Columbus,
Neb. They are contemplating adding two more this year.
To add the new amenity, they partnered with Stirk Compressed Natural
Gas. Stirk Compressed Natural Gas
provided the capital for the equipment and Sapp Bros. provides the
space, runs the logistics and receives
a throughput. Mike Hoelscher, managing member of Stirk CNG, said,
Our strategy is to continue to build
out the compressed natural gas infrastructure, with a focus on large truck
access in major transportation corridors. We partnered with Sapp Bros.
because they have a strong name in
the trucking industry.
Class 8 fleets in the grain and feed
transportation industry will initially

nered with Frontier Cooperative. Jeff

Ingalls, Frontier Cooperative's energy
department manager, said, "Frontier
is very excited about this opportunity.
We are looking forward to partnering
with a CNG pumping station."
Stirk Compressed Natural Gas
calls on fleets and they do it very
well according to Sapp Bros. President Don Quinn.
From start to finish, it took about
three to four months to add natural
gas. The physical build out took about
three weeks. It didnt take too long.
For the installation at our Lincoln,
Neb., location, we did need to add another diesel island, said Quinn.
The new island includes a pump
that provides natural gas and a
pump that dispenses diesel and diesel exhaust fluid. Operators need to
research their current POS system
and its ability to integrate with the
CNG dispenser, Quinn said.

BY AMY TONER

We were blessed because we had a

great contractor, he shared.
He also said other operators need
to know that you need to have a
certain supply of natural gas, which
is at a certain pressure, nearby. The
public utilities in your area will
probably step up to bring the natural gas to your facility, he added.
He also encouraged operators to
research if there are grant moneys
within their state.
When asked about his initial
thoughts on the investment, Quinn
told Stop Watch, We feel good with
what weve done.
Sapp Bros. was careful to plan
for the future, and the company
can grow its natural gas offerings if
demand increases. The one thing
that I didnt want was to enter into
an agreement that restricted us in
the future should the industry convert to natural gas, he said.
www.natso.com

25

OPERATOR 2 OPERATOR

What is your favorite business book?

BOB WOLLENMAN, DELUXE TRUCK STOP
Lunchmeat and Life Lessons by Mary B.
Lucas. It is about a guy who was a butcher. His ability to connect with people was
amazing. One of the things he said that I
liked is that sometimes you have to put on
your blinders so you dont get sidetracked
by others negativity.

WALT MURALT,
MURALTS TRAVEL PLAZA
Leadership and Self Deception:
Getting Out of the Box, which is
from the Arbinger Institute. It
is about communications, relationships and leadership. It will
blow you away. It totally transformed one of my mangers lives
and I highly recommend it.

WILL MOON, IOWA 80 GROUP

Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work. It was an interesting book
on how people make decisions.

WANT TO BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT OPERATOR 2 OPERATOR? Our next question to discuss is What has been the most surprising
breakout product/item? Submit your answers to Darren Schulte at dschulte@natso.com by August 15, 2014.
26

July/August 2014

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