Two seemingly separate decisions by Love’s Travel Stops — one publicly announced, the other revealed through social media chatter — together illustrate steps the company is taking to deal with a seemingly relentless tight job market.
The operator of truck stops announced on Monday “tuition-free education and skill development” in a program called Fuel Your Growth.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Love’s confirmed social media reports that the company is “adjusting its overnight operating hours” at some facilities.
The decision to make the changes in operating hours, the spokeswoman said, will be aimed at “[optimizing] technician availability during peak hours.”
Both Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations are affected by the change, according to Love’s. (Speedco is fully owned by Love’s but operates separately.)
But the spokeswoman added that most of the 268 affected locations are near a Love’s Truck Care or Speedco location that will continue with 24-hour operations, “including emergency roadside service coverage, so professional drivers will still have access to services during their greatest time of need.”
The proximity to a Love’s or Speedco that will continue to operate full time will determine the cutback in hours at the facilities undergoing a reduction. (Love’s noted that hours-of-operation information can be found on its website.)
According to social media postings, stores with adjusted hours were notified of the change in status on Friday. Changes have begun already, the spokeswoman said, and will be in place by the end of this month.
Love’s this year has opened two new travel stops and reopened one that a spokeswoman said was remodeled under the Strategic Remodel Initiative. Five new Speedco locations have been opened this year as well.
There are four new stores and two truck washes planned for opening this year. The spokeswoman added that no openings have been slowed by an inability to secure adequate staffing.
Fuel Your Growth is being offered through a company called Guild, which describes itself as “the leader in opportunity creation for America’s workforce.”
“When we make the decision to hire someone, we intend to support them from the day they are hired until they retire,” Les Thompson, chief human resources officer of Love’s, said in a prepared statement. “By investing in the growth of Love’s talented team, we meet them where they are in their learning and development journey while eliminating prohibitive cost barriers.
The offerings in Fuel Your Growth are separate from existing training programs such as learning to be a diesel mechanic. Instead, the spokeswoman said, the program will focus on “more traditional schooling, skill building and career mapping.”
Accessing the services of Fuel Your Growth will be available to employees after approximately 30 days of employment, Love’s said.
Love’s listed some of the services available under Fuel Your Growth as completion of a high school degree, undergraduate degree programs, obtaining various certifications and “language learning classes.” Career coaching is also available.
Love’s continues to offer a tuition assistance program called Learning with Love’s in conjunction with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.
The Love’s spokeswoman said there are few limits on how many training opportunities an employee can pursue. “In most cases, team members are permitted to participate in one Love’s-sponsored program at a time; however, there are a few exceptions,” she said in an email. “Employees can enroll in a double major; a major and minor within an approved field of study; or an English language learning program in Guild’s certified Learning Marketplace in parallel with another program.”
More articles by John Kingston
Love’s: Restraint in new travel centers/truck parking in ’24, but larger growth plans
Love’s acquisitions expand its factoring business
Pilot’s drop in profits led to lower valuation in final Berkshire purchase
Stephen Webster
Jonestown Pa they charged for 2 forced Regens within. 2 hour of each other neither one was complete had to take to another shop less than 60 miles away by wrecker were they did a regen and changed the Def pump. When I notified both the shop and asked that one the 2 forced regens be taken off the bill they refused even though I agree to computer hook up fee and the other charges on both bills of over $1400 and already paid . The truck stop repair places need better training program of their techs .
Lori Lopes
Andrew Anderson. I don’t know how old you are sounds like an age discrimination. If they seen you and never discussed your abilities. Just telling you, you’re not a fit. Sorry against the law just hard to prove
Victor
Loves is still my go-to for a truck stop chain but they’ve slipped since the old man died. Just don’t count on their shops for anything more than a tire change. Had a couple of minor issues that I didn’t have the parts to fix myself. Went to get the issues addressed and I’m glad they didn’t charge me for one and only minimal charge for the other because I had to redo both repairs when I got home. And don’t get me started on the trash cans. Loves used to be pretty clean but they’ve collected all the trash cans to a couple locations and now they’re starting to look like Flying J or a TA with garbage all over. Plus it’s apparently too much trouble to empty the cans overnight even on the fuel islands….
Andrew Anderson
I’ve been a professional truck driver for over forteen years and recently decided to apply for a job opening as a Diesel technician apprentice at a Speedco facility in Dallas Tx . First of id like to mention I went to the love web site and found that there was a huge number of jobs available for Technicians and apprentices all over the country , I also have an associates degree in electronics a EPA universal certification for HVAC and refrigeration a very recent certificate from the Master samurai Tech online appliance repair training course . Someone gave me a call to set up an interview, I arrived on time met with the manager who was very professional and from that point things went completely downhill during the ten minute interview I was never once asked anything about my mechanical or electrical skills set but was told that the job was not a fit for me. I drove over three hours to get to the interview and was never asked anything about the operating principles of a Diesel engine. That was a complete waste of my time and money .A skilled technician has to understand the technology and I wasn’t even asked to explain the basics function of an alternator .
Dwayne
That love is a good place to stop very clean at some of them some of them I wouldn’t even take my dog in but you need to do something about you making sure about calling cops I’m drivers because it’s all over the radio they’re trying to boycott that store what is that somebody’s going to get hurt because of cops were called over stupidity stuff good luck
Troy
They have ruined themselves. After the old man died the kids let the money go tho their head and they lost all value of what their father had put into place. Loves used to be the standard but has become the laughing stock.