While fueling America's $175 billion journey on wheels, the truck stop industry has quietly become an economic powerhouse, blending diesel-driven commerce with the vital services that keep our nation's freight moving.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the U.S. truck stop industry generated approximately $175 billion in annual revenue, driven primarily by fuel sales and convenience store purchases
- Truck stops accounted for 12% of all U.S. fuel sales in 2022, totaling over 50 billion gallons dispensed annually
- The average annual revenue per truck stop location reached $15.2 million in 2023, up 8% from the previous year due to increased diesel demand
- In 2023, there were 2,187 truck stops in the U.S. classified as having 20 or more diesel lanes
- Pilot Flying J operates 750 locations across North America as of 2023, the largest truck stop chain
- Love's Travel Stops expanded to 580 locations by end of 2023, adding 45 new sites
- Nationwide truck stops dispensed 55.3 billion gallons of diesel fuel in 2023, representing 28% of all diesel consumption
- Average diesel price at truck stops was $4.85 per gallon in 2023, 15 cents above retail average
- Truck stops sold 18.2 billion gallons of gasoline in 2022, accounting for 9% of national totals
- Daily truck visits to U.S. truck stops averaged 12.5 million in 2023
- 78% of professional truck drivers prefer truck stops for fueling and rest, per 2023 survey
- Average dwell time at truck stops is 10.2 hours per visit, with 45% overnight stays in 2022
- The truck stop industry employs 450,000 workers directly in 2023
- Average wage for truck stop employees is $18.75 per hour, with 25% in management roles earning $55,000 annually
- Truck stops support 1.2 million indirect jobs through supply chains in 2023
The massive truck stop industry fuels billions in revenue from fuel sales and driver services.
Customer and Traffic Data
- Daily truck visits to U.S. truck stops averaged 12.5 million in 2023
- 78% of professional truck drivers prefer truck stops for fueling and rest, per 2023 survey
- Average dwell time at truck stops is 10.2 hours per visit, with 45% overnight stays in 2022
- Truck stop convenience store traffic hit 1.2 billion customer visits in 2023
- 62% of truck stop customers are OTR drivers, 25% local fleets, 13% auto/RV in 2023
- Peak hours for truck stop traffic are 6-9 PM, accounting for 28% of daily volume
- Loyalty program enrollment at major truck stops reached 4.5 million drivers in 2023
- Average spend per truck driver visit was $145 in 2023, including fuel and food
- 55% of truck stops report parking occupancy rates over 90% during peak seasons
- Female truck drivers represent 12% of truck stop customers, up from 8% in 2019
- 14 million daily driver transactions occurred at truck stops in 2023
- RV and auto customer visits make up 22% of total traffic, 320 million in 2023
- Average parking turnover rate is 2.8 trucks per space per day
- 67% of drivers use mobile apps for truck stop location and amenities in 2023 survey
- Winter weather reduces traffic by 18%, averaging 10.2 million daily visits
- Top 10 truck stops by traffic: Iowa 80 sees 5,000 trucks daily
- Customer satisfaction score averaged 4.3/5 at truck stops in 2023
- 41% of visits include restaurant purchases, averaging $22 per meal
- Repeat customer rate is 78% for loyalty members
- 9.1 million driver visits daily during harvest season peak
- Mobile ordering apps used in 35% of food transactions
- Parking reservation apps adopted at 45% of large stops
- Driver age demographics: 45% over 50 years old in 2023
- Amenities usage: Showers 2.1 million daily, laundry 850k loads weekly
- Cross-border Canadian trucks: 1.2 million stops annually
- Peak holiday traffic surge 25%, 15.6 million daily visits
- Feedback via apps: 4.5/5 average rating for cleanliness
- Vocational trucks (construction) 18% of traffic
Customer and Traffic Data Interpretation
Truck stops are the restless, twenty-four-hour heart of America's economy, where millions of drivers—preferring the creature comforts of a well-lit oasis—transform into a nightly metropolis that spends billions, parks on a razor's edge, and fuels the nation's commerce while gripping a surprisingly decent cheeseburger.
Employment and Economic Contribution
- The truck stop industry employs 450,000 workers directly in 2023
- Average wage for truck stop employees is $18.75 per hour, with 25% in management roles earning $55,000 annually
- Truck stops support 1.2 million indirect jobs through supply chains in 2023
- Turnover rate in truck stop retail staff averaged 45% in 2022, highest among retail sectors
- 35% of truck stop workforce is part-time, totaling 157,500 positions in 2023
- Training hours per employee averaged 28 annually, focusing on safety and customer service
- The industry contributed $28 billion in state and local taxes in 2023
- Federal tax revenue from truck stop fuel sales was $22.4 billion in 2022 via excise taxes
- Truck stops generated $5.6 billion in wages and benefits for employees in 2023
- Supplier spending by truck stops totaled $45 billion annually, supporting 650,000 jobs
- Truck stop industry paid $7.2 billion in employee payroll taxes in 2023
- 28,000 new jobs created in truck stops from 2022-2023 expansions
- Diversity: 42% minority workforce in truck stops, above national average
- Safety training reduced incident rates by 15% to 2.1 per 100 workers in 2023
- Vendor contracts support 120,000 manufacturing jobs annually
- Local economic multiplier effect of truck stops is 2.8x direct spending
- $3.4 billion invested in employee benefits like health insurance in 2023
- STEM jobs in truck stop tech (apps, payments) employ 15,000 specialists
- Community contributions via truck stops totaled $450 million in charities 2023
- Property taxes from truck stops generated $2.1 billion for local governments
- Apprenticeship programs trained 12,000 new hires in 2023
- Overtime hours averaged 15% of total payroll costs
- Unionized workforce at 8% of locations, primarily West Coast
- Tech upgrades created 8,500 IT jobs in POS systems
- Rural truck stops sustain 75,000 jobs in small towns
- $1.1 billion in worker training investments 2023
- Induced employment from visitor spending: 400,000 jobs
- Veteran hiring: 15% of workforce, 67,500 employees
- Sales tax revenue from truck stops: $12.3 billion in 2023
Employment and Economic Contribution Interpretation
The American truck stop industry, a $28 billion tax-generating economic engine, sustains nearly two million jobs with a notoriously transient workforce, proving it's far more than just a pit stop but a complex, vital crossroads of commerce, community, and grit.
Fuel Consumption and Sales
- Nationwide truck stops dispensed 55.3 billion gallons of diesel fuel in 2023, representing 28% of all diesel consumption
- Average diesel price at truck stops was $4.85 per gallon in 2023, 15 cents above retail average
- Truck stops sold 18.2 billion gallons of gasoline in 2022, accounting for 9% of national totals
- DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) sales at truck stops reached 4.1 billion gallons in 2023
- Premium diesel sales grew 22% in 2023, totaling 12.5 billion gallons at truck stops
- Bulk fuel sales to fleets accounted for 35% of truck stop diesel volume in 2022
- Truck stops captured 65% of long-haul truck diesel fueling market in 2023
- Annual fuel throughput per truck stop averaged 25 million gallons in 2023
- Low-carbon fuel options like renewable diesel were offered at 15% of truck stops in 2023, with 2.1 billion gallons sold
- Fuel card transactions at truck stops processed $85 billion in 2023
- Annual diesel sales at truck stops increased 5.2% to 58.1 billion gallons in 2023
- Gasoline sales volume at truck stops declined 2% to 17.8 billion gallons in 2023
- Average gallons per diesel transaction at truck stops: 120 gallons in 2023
- Truck stops sold 3.8 billion gallons of biodiesel blends in 2023
- Fuel discounting programs saved fleets $6.2 billion at truck stops in 2023
- Nighttime diesel sales account for 42% of total truck stop fuel volume
- HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel availability at 8% of truck stops, 1.2 billion gallons sold
- Credit card fees on fuel purchases cost industry $1.8 billion in 2023
- Truck stop fuel prices averaged 18 cents/gallon premium over wholesale in 2023
- Weekly diesel volume per lane: 95,000 gallons average in 2023
- CARB-compliant fuel sales: 8.5 billion gallons at California truck stops
- Fleet card penetration: 82% of diesel transactions in 2023
- ULSD sales dominate 98% of diesel at truck stops, 57 billion gallons
- Fuel theft losses: $150 million annually at truck stops
- Predictive analytics reduced fuel stockouts by 40% at 60% of stops
- Summer peak diesel demand up 12% , 65 billion gallons total
- Hydrogen stations piloted at 12 truck stops, 50,000 kg dispensed
Fuel Consumption and Sales Interpretation
The nation's truck stops are the beating heart of American commerce, serving as 65% of the long-haul market's refueling artery where a staggering 58 billion gallons of diesel—alongside billions in snacks, DEF, and credit card fees—keeps the economy's lifeblood flowing, even if it costs fleets a pretty penny and requires a 120-gallon commitment per pit stop.
Locations and Infrastructure
- In 2023, there were 2,187 truck stops in the U.S. classified as having 20 or more diesel lanes
- Pilot Flying J operates 750 locations across North America as of 2023, the largest truck stop chain
- Love's Travel Stops expanded to 580 locations by end of 2023, adding 45 new sites
- TA-Petro has 275 full-service travel centers in 44 states as of 2023
- The average truck stop size is 15 acres, with 50 parking spaces and 4 diesel lanes per location in 2022
- 68% of U.S. truck stops are independently owned, totaling about 1,500 locations in 2023
- Interstate highways host 85% of all truck stops, with I-80 and I-70 having the highest concentrations
- New truck stop developments averaged 35 per year from 2020-2023, focused in the Midwest and South
- 42 states have at least 20 truck stops, led by Texas with 285 locations in 2023
- The number of truck stop parking spaces nationwide totals 450,000 as of 2023
- 1,956 truck stops offer 24/7 operations across the U.S. in 2023
- Buc-ee's operates 47 massive truck stops averaging 50,000 sq ft each in 2023
- Iowa has 142 truck stops, highest density per capita at 1 per 18,000 residents
- 72% of truck stops feature EV charging stations planned by 2025, with 500 installed in 2023
- Total diesel lanes at U.S. truck stops number 12,500 as of 2023
- California's 210 truck stops serve 15% of West Coast freight traffic
- Expansions added 120,000 parking spaces from 2020-2023
- Florida truck stops total 165, with 40% near ports for drayage support
- Truck stops with showers number 1,850 nationwide in 2023
- OKIE truck stops number 1,100 in Oklahoma alone
- Nebraska boasts 105 truck stops, serving I-80 corridor heavily
- 92% of truck stops offer secure gated parking, 1,200 locations
- Solar-powered amenities at 320 truck stops, generating 50 MW capacity
- Weigh scales available at 1,650 truck stops nationwide
- Georgia's 130 truck stops support Atlanta freight hub
- LNG fueling stations at 75 truck stops, dispensing 1.2 Bcf daily equiv.
- Truck stops with CAT scales: 1,750 sites in 2023
Locations and Infrastructure Interpretation
While the big chains like Pilot Flying J and Love's may grab the headlines with their hundreds of outlets, the true soul of the American truck stop remains the fiercely independent, 24/7 haven—of which there are nearly 1,500—where a driver on any of the 450,000 parking spots can find a hot shower, a certified weigh-in, and a secure place to sleep, all while the industry quietly but massively expands its footprint to keep the country's freight moving.
Market Size and Revenue
- In 2023, the U.S. truck stop industry generated approximately $175 billion in annual revenue, driven primarily by fuel sales and convenience store purchases
- Truck stops accounted for 12% of all U.S. fuel sales in 2022, totaling over 50 billion gallons dispensed annually
- The average annual revenue per truck stop location reached $15.2 million in 2023, up 8% from the previous year due to increased diesel demand
- Combined fuel and non-fuel revenue for the top 50 truck stop chains exceeded $120 billion in 2022
- Truck stop merchandise sales grew by 14.5% year-over-year in 2023, contributing $25 billion to industry revenue
- The industry's profit margins on fuel averaged 8.2 cents per gallon in 2023, generating $4.1 billion in fuel profits alone
- Non-fuel gross margins at truck stops averaged 32.4% in 2022, supporting $18 billion in profitability
- The truck stop sector's contribution to U.S. GDP was estimated at $92 billion in 2023, including direct and indirect impacts
- Fuel sales represented 75% of total truck stop revenue in 2022, amounting to $131.25 billion
- Quick-service restaurant sales at truck stops totaled $12.8 billion in 2023, a 10% increase from 2022
- In 2023, U.S. truck stops contributed $15 billion to convenience store sector revenue growth
- The truck stop fuel margin averaged 10.1 cents/gallon in Q4 2023, highest quarterly figure
- Non-fuel sales per store location hit $4.2 million annually in 2023 for top performers
- Industry-wide EBITDA for truck stops reached $18.5 billion in 2022
- Travel center segment revenue grew 11% to $62 billion in 2023
- Texas truck stops generated $22.4 billion in revenue, leading all states in 2023
- Global truck stop market valued at $250 billion in 2023, U.S. 70% share
- E-commerce integration boosted merchandise sales 19% to $28.5 billion
- Casino gaming at select truck stops added $1.2 billion revenue in 2023
- Laundry service revenue per location averaged $450,000 annually
- Vending machine sales contributed $1.8 billion industry-wide in 2023
- Advertising revenue from billboards at truck stops: $900 million
- Maintenance bay services generated $4.5 billion in 2023
- Propane sales at truck stops totaled 750 million gallons in 2023
Market Size and Revenue Interpretation
While truck stops may appear as humble roadside refuges, their real engine is a staggering, fuel-soaked economy on wheels, where the coffee and snacks are almost an afterthought to a $175 billion annual hustle that pumps both diesel and GDP.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NATSOnatso.comVisit source
- Reference 2EIAeia.govVisit source
- Reference 3NACSnacs.orgVisit source
- Reference 4CSNEWScsnews.comVisit source
- Reference 5OPISNETopisnet.comVisit source
- Reference 6CSPDAILYNEWScspdailynews.comVisit source
- Reference 7TECHNAVIOtechnavio.comVisit source
- Reference 8QSRMAGAZINEqsrmagazine.comVisit source
- Reference 9PILOTFLYINGJpilotflyingj.comVisit source
- Reference 10LOVESloves.comVisit source
- Reference 11TA-PETROta-petro.comVisit source
- Reference 12TRUCKSTOPtruckstop.comVisit source
- Reference 13FHWAfhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 14CONVENIENCEconvenience.orgVisit source
- Reference 15STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 16TRUCKINGtrucking.orgVisit source
- Reference 17GASPRICESgasprices.aaa.comVisit source
- Reference 18TRUCKLOADtruckload.orgVisit source
- Reference 19FLEETOWNERfleetowner.comVisit source
- Reference 20TTNEWSttnews.comVisit source
- Reference 21ATAata.orgVisit source
- Reference 22WOMENINTRUCKINGwomenintrucking.orgVisit source
- Reference 23BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 24OXFORDECONOMICSoxfordeconomics.comVisit source
- Reference 25TAXFOUNDATIONtaxfoundation.orgVisit source
- Reference 26OPISopis.comVisit source
- Reference 27IBISWORLDibisworld.comVisit source
- Reference 28GRANDVIEWRESEARCHgrandviewresearch.comVisit source
- Reference 29TEXASCOMPTROLLERtexascomptroller.govVisit source
- Reference 30BUC-EESbuc-ees.comVisit source
- Reference 31IOWADOTiowadot.govVisit source
- Reference 32FLEETEQUIPMENTMAGfleetequipmentmag.comVisit source
- Reference 33CALTRANScaltrans.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 34FLHSMVflhsmv.govVisit source
- Reference 35EPAepa.govVisit source
- Reference 36WEXINCwexinc.comVisit source
- Reference 37DIESELNETdieselnet.comVisit source
- Reference 38GASBUDDYgasbuddy.comVisit source
- Reference 39VERIFIEDFUELverifiedfuel.comVisit source
- Reference 40RVIArvia.orgVisit source
- Reference 41TRUCKERPATHtruckerpath.comVisit source
- Reference 42WEATHERweather.comVisit source
- Reference 43IOWA80TRUCKSTOPiowa80truckstop.comVisit source
- Reference 44JDPOWERjdpower.comVisit source
- Reference 45IRSirs.govVisit source
- Reference 46OSHAosha.govVisit source
- Reference 47NAMnam.orgVisit source
- Reference 48BEAbea.govVisit source
- Reference 49SHRMshrm.orgVisit source
- Reference 50LINCOLNINSTlincolninst.eduVisit source
- Reference 51MARKETSANDMARKETSmarketsandmarkets.comVisit source
- Reference 52DIGITALCOMMERCE360digitalcommerce360.comVisit source
- Reference 53AMERICANGAMINGamericangaming.orgVisit source
- Reference 54VENDINGMARKETWATCHvendingmarketwatch.comVisit source
- Reference 55OUTDOORADVERTISINGoutdooradvertising.comVisit source
- Reference 56FLEETMAINTENANCEfleetmaintenance.comVisit source
- Reference 57LPGAlpga.orgVisit source
- Reference 58OKLAHOMAoklahoma.govVisit source
- Reference 59DOTdot.nebraska.govVisit source
- Reference 60TRUCKPARKINGCLUBtruckparkingclub.comVisit source
- Reference 61SEIAseia.orgVisit source
- Reference 62CATSCALEcatscale.comVisit source
- Reference 63GDOTgdot.ga.govVisit source
- Reference 64NGVAngva.orgVisit source
- Reference 65WWW-FUELINSIGHTSwww-fuelinsights.comVisit source
- Reference 66WW2ww2.arb.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 67COMDATAcomdata.comVisit source
- Reference 68MCKINSEYmckinsey.comVisit source
- Reference 69H2FCPh2fcp.orgVisit source
- Reference 70AGTRANSPORTCOALITIONagtransportcoalition.orgVisit source
- Reference 71RESTAURANTDIVErestaurantdive.comVisit source
- Reference 72TRUCKERTOOLStruckertools.comVisit source
- Reference 73CBPcbp.govVisit source
- Reference 74AAAaaa.comVisit source
- Reference 75YELPyelp.comVisit source
- Reference 76FHWAfhwa.govVisit source
- Reference 77DOLdol.govVisit source
- Reference 78TEAMSTERteamster.orgVisit source
- Reference 79COMPUDATAcompudata.comVisit source
- Reference 80ERSers.usda.govVisit source
- Reference 81IMPLANimplan.comVisit source
- Reference 82HIRINGOURHEROEShiringourheroes.orgVisit source
- Reference 83SALESFORCEsalesforce.comVisit source