黑料社区

Change is happening throughout the truck stop and travel center industry, and Joe Zietlow, industry and trade association manager for and NATSO鈥檚 2025 chairman, said operators have to adjust to continue meeting the needs of their customers.听

While speaking during , Zietlow shared lessons from the book , about anticipating, preparing for and managing change. The book follows four characters鈥擲niff, Scurry, Hem and Haw鈥攚ho live in a maze and depend on cheese as their source of happiness and sustenance.

鈥淏ut, the handwriting is on the wall. There is less and less cheese every day. They ignore it until, one day, the cheese is gone,鈥� Zietlow said while speaking during 黑料社区Connect. 鈥淔or us, the cheese represents our customers.鈥�

Zietlow explained that each character responds differently. Sniff and Scurry quickly adapt, venturing into the maze to find new cheese. Hem resists, clinging to the past and refusing to move. Haw is hesitant at first but eventually learns to embrace the journey, discovering new cheese and perspectives along the way.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure each of us can relate to at least one of the characters when we think about our own reactions to change,鈥� Zietlow said, sharing seven key lessons from the book.

Number one: Change happens. They keep moving the cheese: 鈥淐hange is happening throughout the transportation industry as electric vehicles and automation advance and diesel and gasoline equipment becomes more efficient,鈥� Zielow said. 鈥淚t is happening in the retail world as consumers shift their expectations and buying habits, and change is happening in our country as a new administration takes office.鈥�

Number two: Anticipate change. Get ready for the cheese to move: Zietlow said the most successful individuals and organizations anticipate change, identify patterns and adapt to stay relevant. Zietlow was in a management meeting twenty years ago when his CEO said, 鈥淭he handwriting is on the wall. Every year, we’re selling less cigarettes and tobacco.鈥� He also said that KwikTrip was going to add hot food to replace those sales and profits.

鈥淲e had never sold hot food. It was a completely new idea for us. Today, our food sales are a significant percentage of our overall sales. If we hadn鈥檛 added food, our business would be drastically different today,鈥� Zietlow said.

Number three: Monitor change. Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old: 鈥淟ike Sniff and Scurry, we must be proactive in recognizing signs of change,鈥� Zietlow said. 鈥淚n business, we have to pay attention to warning signs that indicate our 鈥榗heese鈥� is losing its value. Spotting those warning signs isn鈥檛 always easy, and none of us can navigate the future and the changes it brings alone.鈥�

Zietlow told attendees that staying ahead is easier with the power of collective insight. 鈥淚n an era of rapid change鈥攚hether it’s technological disruption, shifting customer demands, or evolving regulations鈥攑ooling our knowledge can help us spot the shifts and trends that could disrupt our businesses,鈥� he explained.

Number four: Adapt to change quickly. The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese: Holding onto the past only delays the ability to move forward. 鈥淭he faster we embrace change, the quicker we鈥檒l find success,鈥� Zietlow said. 鈥淚nstead of clinging to old ways, we need to innovate solutions that keep us competitive.鈥�

In the book, Haw teaches that fear of the unknown often holds people back, but replacing fear with curiosity and taking steps toward can move companies closer to finding the new cheese. 鈥淧lus, once we take the first step, we often find that the journey isn鈥檛 as scary as we imagined鈥攁nd it can lead to something better,鈥� Zietlow said. 鈥淥ne of my favorite parts of 黑料社区Connect is the ability to share ideas and brainstorm new solutions.鈥�

Number five: Change. Move with the cheese: Adaptation requires action. 鈥淥nce we recognize the change, it鈥檚 not enough to plan鈥攚e have to act. We have to try something new. Some of what we try may not work, but that just means we have to keep moving,鈥� he said, adding that

Charles Darwin noted that it is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but those that are the most responsive to change.

Some of what operators try may not work, and Zietlow shared that when KwikTrip rolled out its hot food program, they were throwing away more than we were selling. 鈥淲e started with fancy sandwiches that were too expensive and people didn鈥檛 buy them. Then we got into hot cookies. We found that the basics鈥攈amburgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches鈥攁t an attractive price point worked best,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou just have to keep moving with the cheese.鈥�

Number six: Enjoy the change. Savor the adventure and taste of new cheese: 鈥淐hange can bring excitement, growth and unexpected opportunities,鈥� Zierlow said, adding that operators need to celebrate the small wins and appreciate the lessons learned along the way. 鈥淏y shifting our mindset, we can see challenges as a chance to innovate and view change as an adventure.鈥�

Number seven: Be ready to quickly change again and again. They keep moving the cheese: 鈥淢y cheese keeps moving, too,鈥� Zietlow said. 鈥淥ur food program keeps changing. We keep trying new things, eliminating what doesn鈥檛 work and keeping what鈥檚 selling.鈥�

Change is a continuous process, not a one-time event. 鈥淭he handwriting is on the wall鈥攐ur industry is undergoing significant transformation, and we have to remain agile and be open-minded, which is likely one of the reasons you鈥檙e all here,鈥� Zietlow said.

He also encouraged attendees to stay involved in 黑料社区so operators can navigate the maze together. 鈥淭he world doesn’t stop,鈥� Zietlow said. 鈥淥ur communities and our customers will keep changing. Everything we know today may be completely different a year from now. That’s why we need to stay connected.鈥�

Operators interested in volunteering with 黑料社区should reach out to Chris Schoessler, NATSO’s COO, at cschoessler@natso.com.