Stopping in at NATSO Connect

A lot of long term trends are fostering opportunities and worries among truckstop operators. At NATSO Connect 2018, the annual convention of the trade group formerly known as the National Association of Truck Stop Operators held this year in Nashville, TN, truckstop operators heard from industry experts such as Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) about the freight forecast for U.S. truckers -- which is the strongest it's been "since deregulation," in his words -- and from ATA Chairman Dave Manning and Maverick Transportation's Dean Newel about how autonomous systems will impact motor carrier operations and driver employment. Other sessions examined broader technological trends that are reshaping how businesses interact with consumers, while more targeted panel discsusions looked at ways to make truckstops a "destination of choice" for motorists and commercial drivers alike.