What NATSO does

NATSO is a national trade association founded in 1960 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, that represents truck stops, travel centers, and off-highway transportation energy providers in the United States. The organization serves as the primary industry advocate and resource provider for its member operators, suppliers, and associate members, with a staff of 11-50 employees and a board of directors elected from its operator membership. NATSO maintains two subsidiaries: the NATSO Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm for research, education, and public outreach (including the Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship and anti-human trafficking initiatives), and NATSO Services, a for-profit arm offering credit card processing through Fiserv and operational assessments. Together with SIGMA and NACS, the three associations represent retailers accounting for approximately 90 percent of fuel sold at retail in the United States.

NATSO's core products are member services rather than technology products. The portfolio includes government advocacy (NATSO Day on Capitol Hill, NATSO PAC), events (NATSO Connect annual conference, Demo Days vendor showcases, webinars), research publications through the NATSO Foundation (toolkits on driver buying behavior, fuel buying, net operating costs, technology roadmaps, and microtrends, each priced at $250), owned media (Stop Watch Magazine, The Truck Stops Here podcast), and dedicated resource hubs covering EV charging, fuel, labor, retail, and technology. NATSO does not develop proprietary technology but curates industry guidance on adoption of EV charging, mobile payments, AI-driven fuel monitoring, and digital signage for its members.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring membership dues from operators and suppliers, event and conference registrations, and NATSO Foundation donations supporting research and scholarship programs. The for-profit NATSO Services subsidiary contributes margin from credit card processing and assessment fees. GTM motion is event-driven and direct, centered on NATSO Connect, Demo Days, Capitol Hill advocacy events, and member referrals. The organization is governed by an operator-elected board and led by a President and CEO supported by VPs of Membership and Public Affairs, a COO, and the NATSO Foundation Executive Director.

Name

NATSO

Legal name

NATSO, Inc.

Website

https://natso.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NATSO is a 1960-founded national trade association representing U.S. truck stops, travel centers, and off-highway fuel providers through government advocacy, research publications, annual conferences, and member services for its operator, supplier, and associate members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NATSO operates as a trade association representing truck stops, travel centers, and off-highway transportation energy providers. Revenue is generated through membership dues from truck stop operators, suppliers, and associate members.
2. Events and Conferences: NATSO generates revenue through events including NATSO Connect annual conference, Demo Days vendor showcase, and various webinars. The NATSO Foundation also sells research toolkits and reports.
3. NATSO Foundation Donations: The NATSO Foundation is the research, education, and public outreach subsidiary that relies on donations to fund its programs, scholarships (Bill and Carolyn Moon Scholarship), safety initiatives, and anti-human trafficking campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NATSO is a national trade association that represents truck stops, travel centers, and off-highway transportation energy providers. The organization sells memberships, hosts industry conferences (NATSO Connect), publishes research toolkits through the NATSO Foundation, and operates advocacy programs including NATSO Day on Capitol Hill and the NATSO PAC. It also runs a for-profit subsidiary (NATSO Services) offering credit card processing and operational assessments to members.

Product overview

NATSO is a trade association representing truck stops, travel centers, and off-highway transportation energy providers. The organization offers a portfolio of member services including advocacy, annual conferences (NATSO Connect), research publications through the NATSO Foundation (toolkits, reports, Stop Watch Magazine), a podcast (The Truck Stops Here), and NATSO Services for operational support. The NATSO Foundation, the research and education subsidiary, produces purchasable toolkits covering topics like professional driver behavior, fuel buying, technology, and industry microtrends. The organization also runs NATSO PAC for political advocacy and NATSO Day on Capitol Hill for member engagement with legislators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NATSO Foundation: Research, education, and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO focused on strengthening travel plazas' ability to meet the traveling public's needs through improved operational performance and business planning.
• NATSO Services
• NATSO Connect
• NATSO PAC
• Demo Days

Products and services

• NATSO Connect Annual education and networking conference bringing together C-level executives and key decision-makers in the truck stop and travel center industry for industry insights, education, and supplier networking.
• NATSO Services For-profit arm of NATSO offering Travel Center Profit Drivers program (connecting operators to industry experts for assessments) and credit card processing solutions in partnership with Fiserv.
• 2026 Annual Professional Driver Buying Behavior at Travel Centers Survey Toolkit Purchasable research toolkit ($250) from the NATSO Foundation providing truck stop and travel center operators with insights into professional driver behavior, purchasing decisions, and loyalty preferences.
• Technology Roadmap: How Technology is Transforming Truck Stops and Travel Centers Purchasable toolkit from the NATSO Foundation covering mobile payment systems, app-based promotions, and advanced customer engagement tools to help travel center operators stay current on technology.
• Top Microtrends Shaping the Truck Stop and Travel Center Industry in 2025 Report Purchasable report ($250) from the NATSO Foundation identifying the top microtrends shaping the truck stop and travel center industry in 2025, providing actionable insights for operators.
• 11 Ways to Improve Net Operating Costs Toolkit Purchasable toolkit from the NATSO Foundation providing operators with eleven strategies to improve profitability and efficiency at truck stops and travel centers.
• Fuel Buying for Truck Stops and Travel Centers Toolkit Purchasable toolkit from the NATSO Foundation helping operators understand fuel types, procurement strategies, and supplier relationships for truck stops and travel centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-70% of Biodiesel Tax Credit value passed through to consumers under Section 40A, compared to only 20% under Section 45Z
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SIGMA: America's Leading Fuel MarketerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSO frequently partners with SIGMA on advocacy efforts for biofuel tax policy, representing the same industry interests of fuel retailers and truck stops. Together with NACS, these three associations represent 90% of retail fuel sales.
• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSO collaborates with NACS on fuel policy advocacy, representing the combined interests of truck stops, travel centers, and convenience stores on issues including biofuel tax credits, E15 sales, and EV charging policy.
• Clean Freight CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSO is a member of the Clean Freight Coalition, which advocates for realistic approaches to freight decarbonization and has testified before the EPA on Advanced Clean Fleets Rule.
• National Truck Parking CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSO serves as a representative on the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Truck Parking Coalition, advocating for truck parking solutions.
• U.S. Department of Transportation Human Trafficking Advisory CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSO's public affairs team serves on the DOT Human Trafficking Advisory Council, leading the truck stop industry's anti-human trafficking campaign.
• Werner EnterprisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSO collaborated with Werner Enterprises on a CEO ride-along program to better understand professional driver needs and experiences.
• NATSO FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NATSO Foundation is the research, education, and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The foundation is completely autonomous and relies solely on donations. It provides programs, toolkits, scholarships, and safety initiatives.
• Chairman Circle Members (AtoB, Altria, Blue Beacon, CAT Scale, Chesters, Coca-Cola, DAS, Federated Insurance, Fiserv, Haskel Thompson, EVgo, McLane, ONRAMP, PMI, Reynolds, RJP Consulting, Valvoline, T Lines)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier supplier members supporting NATSO at the Chairman Circle level, providing financial support and industry expertise.
• TravelCenters of America / bp pulseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTA CEO Debi Boffa serves on NATSO's board; TA is exploring EV charging, renewable diesel, and biodiesel infrastructure at its 300+ locations.
• Pilot CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot Company is represented on industry panels with NATSO, discussing hydrogen and EV fueling infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/natso_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NATSOInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/147442301967137
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natso
• Instagraminstagram.com/natsoinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NATSO