To help the nation’s truck stop and travel center operators better understand fleets, drivers and their needs, NATSO Services launched a survey of company drivers, leased drivers, independent owner/operators and fleet owner drivers in 2022. For the 2023 edition, NATSO Services asked professional drivers how often they fuel, rest and shop at travel centers during their work week, what brings them inside and their expectations around wait times, employee interaction, and food and loyalty preferences.
The survey revealed incredible opportunities to increase wallet share of existing customers, bring more buying customers inside and convert customer traffic into sales. Key findings include:
The cleanliness of the showers and restrooms came out as the most important determining factor in where professional drivers stop.
Loyalty programs can be a powerful tool for attracting and retaining customers and spurring sales. More than half of drivers—55%—said that loyalty programs influenced their decision to make non-fuel purchases.
Not surprisingly, the survey found that check-out delays significantly affect purchasing. Most drivers—58%—said they would only wait in line for one to five minutes and 3% expect no wait. 10% said they’ll leave even if there are just two people in line.
36% of fueling customers said they’d go inside for reliable food from a national brand they recognize and 21% said they’d go inside for out-of-the-ordinary food offerings.
Christine Schoessler, COO of NATSO and Amy Toner, Executive Director of the NATSO Foundation, discuss the survey results. Visit https://www.natso.com/driversurvey for more on the new toolkit from the NATSO Foundation.
With special guest:
Christine Schoessler, COO, NATSO
Hosted by:
Amy Toner, Executive Director, NATSO Foundation
