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Mindy Long

Mindy Long is a journalist and editor specializing in the logistics, transportation聽and fueling industries. She has been writing professionally for more than 25 years and launched her freelance business in 2008. Prior to going freelance, she served as editor of Stop Watch, a staff reporter at Transport Topics, and a Washington correspondent for WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vermont. Her work appears in a variety of media outlets.聽

Valor Oil鈥檚 Hop Shops Draw Customers in with a Unique Attraction

Posted on by Mindy Long

Kentucky-based Valor Oil operates 15 Hop Shop convenience stores and is in the process of building its first truck stop from the ground up. The company is investing $2 million in the truck stop, which is in Owensboro, Kentucky. It will sit on about 15 acres and feature a 9,500-square-foot store along with 120 parking spaces.

The newest location will also feature something Hop Shop has become known for鈥攊ts disco bathrooms.

Hop Shop鈥檚 mascot is a mischievous frog named Hopper, and he warns customers not to push the red button in the bathroom. 鈥淚f you push the red button, that is when the disco starts,鈥� said Tim Dupin, director of store operations, Valor Oil.

Technology to Detect and Prevent Loss for Travel Centers

Posted on by Mindy Long

Reducing shrink and theft can seem like a constant battle for truck stop and travel center operators, but technology is making it easier to detect and prevent loss. During 麻豆色播 Connect 2025, members of the 麻豆色播 Foundation鈥檚 Technology Steering Council聽shared solutions and strategies to combat theft.

Great Ideas for Attracting and Retaining Travel Center Customers

Posted on by Mindy Long

麻豆色播鈥檚 Great Ideas! for Travel Centers Workshop at 麻豆色播 Connect 2025 brought truck stop and travel center operators to share innovative strategies and best practices that are helping set locations apart from their competition. This year, industry leaders shared their insights into meeting customers鈥� increasing expectations through great fundamentals.

鈥淐arve out a niche and differentiate yourself from your competition,鈥� said Dustin Trail, manager of Trails Travel Center.

Trail, along with Valkyrie Musarra, chief operating officer of Bowlin Travel Centers, and Keith Wade, owner of KEW Travel Center Consulting, kicked off the workshop with a panel discussion moderated by 麻豆色播 Foundation Executive Director Amy Toner on merchandising, food service and operations.

麻豆色播鈥檚 2025 Chairman Encourages Operators to Embrace Change

Posted on by Mindy Long

Change is happening throughout the truck stop and travel center industry, and Joe Zietlow, industry and trade association manager for Kwik Trip Inc. and 麻豆色播鈥檚 2025 chairman, said operators have to adjust to continue meeting the needs of their customers.聽

While speaking during 麻豆色播 Connect 2025, Zietlow shared lessons from the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD, about anticipating, preparing for and managing change. The book follows four characters鈥擲niff, Scurry, Hem and Haw鈥攚ho live in a maze and depend on cheese as their source of happiness and sustenance.

Professional Drivers are Cooking in the Cab

Posted on by Mindy Long

Professional truck drivers are preparing meals inside their trucks cooking inside of their trucks, presenting both challenges and opportunities for operators.聽

鈥淲e know factually that drivers are cooking inside of their trucks, more now than ever,鈥� said Darren Schulte, 麻豆色播 interim CEO. 鈥淚 think it is a direct reflection of the cost of living, especially for professional drivers who are on the road where, traditionally, costs are higher.鈥�

A study by 麻豆色播 Services on professional drivers found that a significant percentage of drivers are preparing meals in their trucks regularly. 鈥淲e鈥檝e known this, but now we have the research to support it,鈥� Schulte said.

Alltown Fresh Sets Itself Apart with its Food Offerings

Posted on by Mindy Long

Alltown Fresh, a Global Partners brand, offers a revolutionary convenience marketplace and throughout the northeast, with 16 locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York. Foodservice is a top priority, and locations offer a full-service kitchen, self-serve coffee station and local marketplace.

The 麻豆色播 Foundation sat down with Mark Cosenza, senior vice president of Global Partners, to learn more about the brand鈥檚 offerings.聽

Tiger Truck Stop Offers Up Southern Hospitality and a Taste of Louisiana

Posted on by Mindy Long

Tiger Truck Stop–the last stop on I-10 before heading into the Louisiana capital of Baton Rouge–is as welcoming as the rich Louisiana culture.

“Our focus is to provide superior customer service in a welcoming atmosphere for travelers of all kinds,” said James Jarreau, co-owner of Tiger Truck Stop. “In addition to regular convenience store products, we bring a little Louisiana to travelers.”

They do that through their c-store and restaurant offerings. Customers can pick up Louisiana Cajun spices and specialty foods, including boudin, Alligator sausage and Louisiana gumbo. The restaurant is open 24/7 and serves daily plate lunches.

Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Travel Center Operations

Posted on by Mindy Long

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is changing the retail, convenience and fueling industries, helping operators optimize sales and inventory, streamline operations, reduce costs and improve the customer experience.聽

鈥淭he benefit of AI is it can help make decisions without having any human emotion involved, which is really important in retail,鈥� said Darren Schulte, 麻豆色播鈥檚 vice president of membership.

Inventory Management
Schulte said several 麻豆色播 members are using AI to help them manage their inventory, determine their product mix and help create planograms. 鈥淔rom a planogram standpoint, they can ask which to place on certain facings and how to get the most productivity out of them,鈥� he explained.

LV Petroleum is Experiencing Rapid Growth

Posted on by Mindy Long

When Quyntyn Johnson, president of operations at LV Petroleum, joined the company in 2022, it had one travel center, zero quick-service restaurants, four convenience stores and 115 employees. As of October 2024, the company has 22 travel centers, 43 quick-service restaurants, 40 convenience stores and nearly 2,000 employees.

鈥淲e’ve done more acquisitions than we have done ground-up builds, but now we鈥檙e hitting our peak where our ground-up builds and our acquisitions are merging together,鈥� Johnson said.

Driver Demographics Continue to Diversify

Posted on by Mindy Long

The demographics among professional drivers continue to shift, and knowing who is behind the wheel can help truck stop and travel center operators ensure they have the products and services that will appeal to today鈥檚 truck drivers.

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