What qualities/amenities do you look for in a truckstop?

Sorry missed that part.

 

The fuel price will be tough to beat as the major retailers draw in most of the business due to large accounts that negotiate discounts, even the 1 truck operation can get on NATSC program for cost plus pricing ... which will mean for you to compete you won't make jack on the fuel ... A lot of company drivers are told where they will fuel.

As far as amenities go, lots of parking is always nice, even better if it is lit and there is some form of security, even if it is just a fence around the perimeter (depending on location) ... clean parking lot counts, clean or new shower rooms (all the big chains are doing this - they are actually pretty nice now), an excellent restaurant with GOOD SERVICE will bring people in. A cat scale is always nice, it would also be good if there was someone watching the fuel pumps and asking the people who insist on parking at your fuel pump not to do so. Conduct your business then please pull up ... If you are in an area where there is very high truck demand for parking and no options, you can even get away with charging money to get IN to the parking lot, then can be redeemed in the form of minimum number of gallons bought, or money spent in the store/restaurant, that way you will make money off every truck that comes through. The TV rooms petro has are very nice if you have to spend excess time at a truck stop. Two of those would be nice, one for sports/racing and other for movies only ... An on-site truck wash is always nice. A competent shop on site is another idea. If you could figure out a way to keep the stinky loud mouths out of there that would be great, lol

Maybe focus more on who your clients will be and what areas of your truck stop will be profit centers. Maybe you don't make hardly anything on fuel, but it gets people in and some will stay for a free shower and meal. Maybe you will make some on parking if you are in a densely populated area. Maybe you want to cater more towards owner operators, who have more discretion as to where they will spend their money, and appreciate the small independents that are still around. Maybe you want to make money everywhere, have a fuel price a bit higher, but a great restaurant and showers, get people to come in, maybe not sell as much fuel but if they all just have to have that BBQ or whatever you serve in your restaurant that can make money too.

Depending what you want to do with it, either make the most money or be that little independent truck stop that all drivers love to go to ... you may make more operating a franchise of one of the major chains ... they seem to be buying out everything anymore ...

Maybe take a look at some of the independent places if you can, see how they do things differently ... Jubitz comes to mind, or Little America truck stops are cool too, or that one down in Miami off the 595 I think.

It would cost a heck of a lot of money to put one up, probably into the millions, and is a very competitive market. But if you do open up, tell us where it is, I love going where my business is appreciated.

 

Make sure you electrify your parking lot.... It would be nice just for once to pull in somewhere that didn't smell like a tanker full of piss overturned.

 

Can I ask why you want to own your own truck stop?

 

Was just asking because of the cost associated with doing it ...

Are the customers so important that you would shell out say $500,000, or even $1,000,000, or however much the amount would be, to buy a truck stop or build one from scratch, just to make enough to live on? Just saying there may be other opportunities where you can put out less money (less risk) for the same reward at the end of the day ...

 

Just don't model the parking lot after a Pilot and you will OK.