Volume 11, Issue 3

Calendar of Events

 ATA Mgmt. Conference & Exhibition – Oct. 20-23, 2007

– Orlando, Fl

 

 NASTC Annual Conference – Nov. 1-3, 2007 - Nashville, TN

 

 NACS (National Assoc. of Convenience Stores) Nov. 6-9, 2007

– Atlanta, GA

 

 Daylight Savings Time Ends – Nov. 4, 2007

 

 Thanksgiving Day – November 22, 2007 (Thursday)

 

 Christmas Day – December 25, 2007 (Tuesday)

 New Year’s Day – January 1, 2008 (Tuesday)

 

 NATSO Show 2008 – January 26-30, 2008 – Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, FL

BACK TO BASICS – Burt Newman Jr.

 

 There is so much happening in the trucking industry these days, it’s easy to get sidetracked and forget about the basics.  We’re always looking for ways to increase our members’ bottom lines and have diligently worked to do this through the PTP vendor programs and other avenues.  In the midst of all of this, I had come to

realize that there were times I was forgetting the main reason PTP was established in the first place. That is to increase the fuel business of our truck stop members and the repair business of our shop members. 

 

 With transaction fees having increased so much over the past 5 years and fuel prices rising constantly, at times it seemed pointless to call on a lot of the trucking companies out there.  Many of them are loyal to the big chains that practically pay them to buy fuel at their locations.  Many of them demand unreasonable discounts from our members, especially when taking into consideration the huge fees that PTP members pay to process the cards their drivers use.  However, there are still a lot of companies out there that we can get business from. 

 

 To that end, I have dedicated 2 of our employees to strictly fuel sales and

solicitation.  Mike Hooks and Bobbie Tatum, who most of you know, will be

calling on trucking companies of all sizes and scope for the PTP members.  You should have received a memo regarding this change in responsibilities by now. 

We are asking that you give us any trucking company leads that you have also.  You can send them directly to our corporate office or send them via your truck stop/shop representative. 

 

 In addition you will be getting periodical faxes that will update you on what trucking companies are being called on for the network as a whole. 

 

 Getting back to the basics of what our company was established for should help all of us in the long run!