679bf076cc0330edbe568eeb Loves 2025 Preview 4

Shop Operations

Love's to add parking, EV charging, and repair bays in 2025

Feb. 4, 2025

Company president Steve Wharton previewed what drivers can expect from the travel stop chain in the year ahead.

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Hot on the heels of celebrating its 60^th year in business, Love’s Travel Stops looks to continue to expand and enhance its customer experience as the company enters the new year.

As the company previewed its plans for 2025, President Steve Wharton detailed the travel stop construction and renovation, stronger truck care offerings, and alternative energy solutions to come.

“As we enter the year, we’re committed to continuing to enhance the customer experience for all,” Wharton said. “This year, we’re excited to introduce new and updated locations, innovative food and drinks, and continued improvement of the services and amenities we offer. With our continued focus on the evolving needs of customers, we’re confident we’ll provide an even better experience across our network in 2025.”

Travel stop network expansion

For starters, Love’s will continue to expand and refresh its nationwide network of travel stop locations with 70 locations to be built or updated throughout the year. The company will begin construction of 20 new stores from the ground up while updating 50 existing locations.

To begin addressing the shortage of truck parking, they’ll be creating 1,000 new spaces across the country, most of which will be added through new locations.

Wharton also mentioned plans to amp up promotion for TVC Pro-Driver, a commercial driver's license legal service acquired by the company in 2023 that provides coverage for individual drivers and fleets, with in-store sales reps prepared to answer questions and help drivers sign up for the service.

Reducing downtime by strengthening truck care program

With a current 432 maintenance bays in operation across the company’s network, Love’s also plans to add 12 more, along with an additional six emergency roadside service trucks.

“Truck care is a business that we've been growing pretty aggressively over the last few years,” Wharton said, “and we're continuing to enhance that business and optimize the products and services that we offer.”

With 432 truck maintenance bays in operation across the company’s network, Love’s plans to add 12 more, along with an additional six emergency roadside service trucks.

While Love’s has offered warranty work in partnership with International in the past, in 2024 they launched a similar program for Freightliner.

“What's a little bit unique about it is that it's really in partnership with the Freightliner dealers,” Wharton explained. “So what we're doing in our shops are those types of warranty repairs that might take two or three or four hours, and we're helping that driver get that work done without having to wait in line at a dealership for maybe a day or two.”

He emphasized that the end goal is to help drivers get back up and running quickly.

“We see that [program] amping up more in 2025 as more drivers know that we offer that service,” he remarked.

Finally, Wharton detailed plans to expand the company’s newest truck care option: truck washes, some of which are attached to truck care facilities. With 11 already a part of the network, Love’s will add up to five more in the year ahead.

EV solutions

In 2024, Love’s was awarded $83 million through federal grant funding, which will be used to implement EV chargers in 13 states.

Love's will begin construction of EV charging ports in eight states over the next year: Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Over 2025, the company will begin the construction of charging ports in eight states: Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

“As we build new stores, we're being cognizant that in the future we may add EV charging,” Wharton noted, adding that Love's is “identifying areas that we would put it in the future as the demand picks up.”

About the Author

Lucas Roberto

Lucas Roberto is an Associate Editor for Fleet Maintenance magazine. He has written and produced multimedia content over the past few years and is a newcomer to the commercial vehicle industry. He holds a bachelor's in media production and a master's in communication from High Point University in North Carolina.