StripezTruckStop Travel Centers: Revolutionizing the Truck Stop Experience

Last week, we highlighted the silent issue of truck parking anxiety and insecurity. We addressed the depths of the issue beyond unwanted emotions and altered behavioral habits that can drastically affect truck drivers' eating habits, leading to various health issues. We shared how StripezTruckStop Travel Centers has a solution to make quick serve options healthier, ensuring drivers have access to nutritious food that fuels them. Today, we want to more formally introduce StripezTruckStop Travel Center, which is revolutionizing the truck stop experience.  

StripezTruckStop Travel Centers stands on the tall shoulders of its ancestors and industry pioneers as it seeks to redefine the collective vision for the industry's future. Its mission is to be the first all-black, female, family-owned truck stop travel center developer in Delaware, creating a new style of travel center that addresses the unique needs of truck drivers while promoting environmental sustainability and healthier living. 

Meet Their Team 

Charlene Poe, Founder and CEO, entered the truck stop business unexpectedly after a conversation with a truck driver friend about the lack of commercial truck parking in Delaware. Inspired by this need, she and her family shifted their business plans to focus on providing drivers with commercial truck parking and health-focused amenities. 

Tiana A. Walker, Executive Chef/Food Service Operations & Hospitality Director, brings over 17 years of experience in the foodservice and hospitality industry. With a deep passion for soul food, cultural fusion cuisine, and nutrition, she is dedicated to addressing the nutritional needs of truck drivers. 

Kaleaha Kaba, Executive Director of Employment Training, brings her experience in employee training and development for adults with disabilities and seniors to the truck stop industry.  

Kala Ayers, Marketing & Brand Ambassador, leads the marketing and promotional vision to present StripezTruckStop Travel Centers to the world through promotion and advertisement.  

Shenet Gatling, Executive Director of the Truck Parking Education, Awareness, and Advocacy Group (TPEAA), where she works with community and state leadership as well as law enforcement and industry stakeholders to understand the successes and challenges of the trucking industry, as well as working to improve community relations. 

Daevon Byrdie, Corporate Communications Director, brings nine years of experience as a professional OTR truck driver to his work with owner-operators, fleets, and local and regional carriers to create a more inclusive trucking culture in Delaware. Daevon will soon launch a Podcast entitled, “Straight from the Truckers Mouth.” 

The Mission 

The team's focus on creating a new style of travel center is deeply personal. Having lost three male family members to the industry and nearly losing Daevon, their Corporate Communications Director, the mission came to them to positively impact their community and the industry. 

What Sets Them Apart? 

They focus on three distinct lanes to serve the state of Delaware’s needs. 

1. The Truck Driver and Truck: Drivers are not an afterthought, but the first thought, by expanding truck parking capacity and amenities. They plan to be the only truck drive-in/drive-thru in the country offering mobile ordering and truck-side delivery, providing healthy food fast. 

2. Environmental Stewardship: Building “green” LEED Certified facilities that use less energy and reduce their carbon footprint, to transition to green fuels, will set them apart from the rest. 

3. Travelers and locals: Offering unique large truck drive-thru options and parking space to enjoy their meal will give all large truck drivers a unique quick-service dining experience. 

How You Can Help 

To make their vision a reality, they need your support: 

• Capital: Their most significant hurdle is the lack of capital. They have found a prime location with a fantastic price and an excited seller in the trucking industry, so they are ready to go once they have the funding. Connect with Charlene at charlenep19@gmail.com if you can help with capital needs. 

• Community Input: They value CMV operators' candid opinions about the challenges of being a truck driver in Delaware. Reach out and share your experiences and your needs. 

• Regulatory Reform: Local and state regulatory reform is essential to improve relations with the community and truck drivers. 

The Power of Networking 

Networking has been instrumental in StripezTruckStop Travel Centers’ journey. They are pleased to have won the Reinventing Delaware Award from the Pete duPont Freedom Foundation, recognizing their efforts to make Delaware a better place to live, work, play, worship, and do business. Additionally, networking led them to collaborate with LIT Wellness Solutions to provide healthier food and drink options for all commercial motor vehicle operators.  

Tiana Walker, Executive Chef/Food Service Operations & Hospitality Director, shares why this collaboration makes a difference. “The market is sorely lacking in made-to-order nutritious options readily available for truck drivers to offer healthier food options in a convenient QSR application. Truck drivers don’t have the luxury to ruminate over the hundreds of options at truck stops. They tend to grab the quickest options available to them. These options tend to be the least healthy since drivers are usually pressed for time, are hungry, thirsty, and tired. The solution is to make the “quick options” the “healthier options”, so drivers are more likely to grab items that fuel them. For this very reason, we at StripezTruckStop™ Travel Centers are teaming up with Tanya Jolliffe of LIT Wellness solutions to craft wholesome, healthy, and delicious Grab-n-Go’s and QSR meal and drink options to deliver those in a custom express application. The menu will feature food that fuels instead of depletes and focuses on their mental and physical well-being to empower truckers on their journey.” 

Join Us in the Mission 

We invite you to join us in revolutionizing the truck stop experience. Your support can make a significant difference in the lives of truck drivers and the communities they serve. Together, we can create a healthier, more sustainable future for the trucking industry. Support StripezTruckStop Travel Centers by sharing their mission, providing feedback, and advocating for regulatory reforms. Let's make a positive impact together!