Chicken and egg.
Did the availability of in-truck cooking appliances coupled with the relative drop in wages over the years cause the drivers to stop patronizing the restaurants? Or did management kill off the restaurants in favor of more profitable fast food, leaving drivers who wanted to eat something that was once actually alive, no choice but to prepare their own meals?
We do know that the advent of management-controlled fuel cards removed the drivers' choice of where to stop in many cases, so the competition between truck stops became less about service and amenities and more about sucking up to megas with cheap fuel prices. What the driver wants doesn't matter any more. So more and more drivers get fed up with the micromanaging and loss of freedom and get out of the industry(or at least the OTR field), and they're replaced by untrained drones in automatic trucks packed full of cattle prods and tattletales, and OTR trucking continues its death spiral.
Travel Centers of America is failing and will declare bankruptcy within five years.
Discussion in 'Truck Stops' started by Deadwood, Dec 17, 2020.
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The decline is probably a combination of several things. Drivers have microwave and fridge in truck more today. The restaurants did not seem to care about the quality of the food and the service. Fast food places have improved their food quality. Plus the covid-19 forcing the closer of restaurants. I still think TA should have had some food to help the drivers, but maybe just not enough drivers to make money even on that.
Last edited: Mar 1, 2021
bthomann Thanks this. -
This latest TA press release shows their Non Fuel Gross Margin Percentage at 61.9%, meaning that 62 cents of every dollar spent on non fuel purchases is profit for them. That’s absurdly high.
TravelCenters of America - TravelCenters of America Inc. Announces First Quarter 2020 Financial Results
I get it. It’s their business and they can charge whatever they want, but they shouldn’t be shocked, then, if drivers resent getting corn holed on a regular basis and bring their own food. Charge a 25-33% margin and that would happen less.Last edited: Mar 1, 2021
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cannot recall the price
i opened it up, there was only 3 slices of lunch meat, all hanging out half way to make it appear it was loaded...
last time i ever spent any money at a 7-11.
never really had any convenience food from a truck stop, but if a WAWA can be thought of as a mini truck stop at times, (since they do have truck parking) then i had some of the best convenience foods there....!!!!!!bthomann, Infosaur, bzinger and 1 other person Thank this. -
I had the restaurant manager at the TA in New Braunfels Tx tell me years ago that their restaurant took a big hit in 2004 when the 14 hr rule came in. Said he didn't get many stooping for a midday bite anymore. Everything went to go, go, go. This was in about 2008 that I talked to her. Been going downhill ever since.
Blue jeans, bthomann, sealevel and 7 others Thank this. -
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The quality of the slop they serve is what did them in. That and their ridiculous prices.
look guys, i know y’all like the buffets but your poo is supposed to be solid & not stink worse than a septic truck.Blue jeans, bthomann, Czar_Zero and 4 others Thank this. -
Blue jeans, bthomann, navypoppop and 2 others Thank this.
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Either way it's weird.Gearjammin' Penguin Thanks this. -
bzinger and drvrtech77 Thank this.
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