NATSO Meeting Set to Convene
NATSO Inc., the largest national trade organization of the truck stop and travel plaza industry, will hold its annual meeting to talk about topics such as consolidation and the role of technology in the business. The convention is scheduled to run from Jan. 27 to 29.
"We have to make sure that our services are those that suit the needs of our membership as it changes," said W. Dewey Clower, president of NATSO, based in Alexandria, Va.
When he assumed the group’s leadership post in 1988, Mr. Clower said about 66% of his membership was comprised of independent truck stop operators. He said that number has now dwindled to less than 50% because of consolidation by big companies and other factors.
Mr. Clower said conferees will discuss standards for existing and new technologies, such as radio frequency identification systems used by truck fleets and truck stops. Similar to a toll pass, the "RF" card allows trucks to obtain fuel and other services on credit. It also permits routine maintenance information, mileage figures and fuel purchases to be downloaded by carriers and kept on file.
"It’s happening right now. Many companies are picking which companies they want to go with," said Barbara Tulipane, director of operations at NATSO. "What we are trying to do is get companies to streamline and focus on one frequency."
A trucking company faces having RF equipment that is incompatible across state lines or across manufacturer’s brands. Along those lines, conferees will explore the debate over switching from a 915 MHz band to a 5.9 GHz band for dedicated short-rage communications equipment.
One of the more timely discussions will be on alternatives to pay telephones. NATSO members account for more than 14,000 pay phones across the country. Use of truck stop telephones ranks second behind airports, according to NATSO.
However, many trucking companies and other businesses are angry over a surcharge fee imposed by the Federal Communications Commission. Long-distance companies must pay telephone owners at least 28.4 cents whenever a call is placed to a subscriber’s toll-free number or the long-distance company’s access code.
American Trucking Associations has estimated that the fee costs the industry $70 million a year.
ATSO has been educating its members on options to using pay telephones.
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