I was listening to trucker radio live from GATS the other day. CEO of TA Petro was on touting their new points system. He was very evasive and stated that all the info will be available when they switch to the new system. The few details he provided hinted at a tiered system. Those who buy a lot of fuel will get more points per gallon. Eat in the restaurant and get points. He suggested that those who are very regular customers will get more benefits. I suspect that unless you are buying all your fuel free showers and parking will be gone. Most places I have worked want us to buy from the J. They get a better price. But I was often in places where the J either was hundreds of miles away or filled up with trucks quickly. I would always buy about 75 gallons at the TA to get a shower. At some of the TA's like Ontario, ca that would also get me free parking. That new policy will be horrible. I expect the other chains will follow suit.
If that becomes their business model, then when roadside service is needed they should be the last resort.
If the do that, I think they will lose a lot of buisness. All my favorite truck stops seem to have gone away.
Costs money to maintain a parking lot, building, restrooms etc etc. Far to many just treat them as a free spot. They have to make money some way or close and then folks will be mad they can no longer have free parking when they brought it on themselves.
From the TS in my area, they dont maintain cleaniness very well. Luckily, I just stop for gas on my personal vehicle and leave. Ive been inside and dont go in if I dont have to. Im not saying youre wrong because youre not. Even the parking lot is littered with trash. If it wasnt cheaper than other gas stations on my route to/from work, I wouldnt stop there. Just my experience.
I think they've already been losing a lot of business. They've lost me and I used to fuel exclusively at TA-Petro. They are the highest truck stop on pretty much anything from stuff in the store, to the fast food, and even the showers they have. Price gauging. I certainly understand reserved parking but when lots of the locations they have are nearly half reserved its ridiculous. The Petro in Effingham, Illinois is a perfect example of ridiculous. Way to many reserved spots for the location of that particular truck stop. If your going to have that many reserves spaces but yet have countless dropped trailers in free spots and then let drivers pull in and make their own spots blocking access or making it difficult to back into actual parking slots and not do anything about it, I'm done with ya.
Yeah the city of Conyets forced the TA to close because they were considered a public nuisance. Trash, criminals, bodily fluids.......TA would not spend the money to keep the place clean, crime free, and open. Now it is a paid parking lot with no sleeping or maintenance on the yard. Or was last time I was there a few months back. Atlanta was already way short on parking. That and the Pilot at ex 16.
I don’t see a problem with a tiered points system. Seems like all the anti PFJ and Loves people and pro TA Petro would love such a system. Not sure where the idea of a national 100% paid parking idea comes from.
While the cost of operations can, and may well be very high, so is the profit margin they have on fuel.
