The Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza in Sacramento, California, distinguishes itself through a strong emphasis on its employees, a commitment to innovation, and a laser focus on profitability, as highlighted by President and General Manager Tristen Rust Griffith.
Griffith’s position as a woman in a male-dominated industry also sets her apart. “Being one of the few female managers definitely makes you more recognizable,” she noted, underscoring the unique perspective she brings to the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza.
Established nearly fifty years ago, in 1972, the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza was acquired by Griffith’s parents, Terry and Bev Rust, in 1988. Today, it serves over 600 truck drivers daily, offering a comprehensive suite of services including a full-service shop, truck wash, the Silver Skillet Restaurant, a well-stocked travel store, and comfortable motel accommodations. This makes the Sacramento 49er a crucial stop for those traveling through Sacramento and Northern California.
One distinctive aspect of the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza is its paid parking system. With 275 parking spaces, the plaza implemented this system to address customer complaints about parking scarcity. “We heard from our customers that parking was consistently full and unavailable,” Griffith explained. Charging for parking ensures that spots are accessible for drivers who are actively using the plaza’s services. To incentivize fuel purchases, free parking is offered to customers who buy more than 75 gallons of fuel.
Beyond standard parking, the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza boasts advanced parking solutions with Shore power Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) spaces. TSE technology allows truck drivers to power down their engines and connect to electrical and communication outlets during mandatory rest periods. This eco-friendly addition, made possible through grant funding, provides significant benefits to drivers and the environment. Griffith advises other operators considering TSE to prioritize equipment protection by ensuring it is “well barricaded” and secure. She also recommends using locks on both the equipment and parking spots, and implementing a key system to guarantee that TSE users are the ones occupying these specialized spots.
The full-service shop at the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza is another key attraction. Recognizing a gap in the market during economic downturns when other local shops reduced their hours, the plaza seized the opportunity to expand its service availability. “When other shops in the area cut back, we extended our hours to meet the demand,” Griffith stated. The shop now operates 24/7 and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, ensuring comprehensive and round-the-clock service for truck drivers.
The Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza is supported by a dedicated team of 100 full-time and 10 part-time employees. To foster employee engagement and open communication, Griffith has implemented a unique practice: drawing an employee’s name from a hat a few times each month to join her for lunch. This initiative not only boosts employee retention but also provides Griffith with invaluable insights. As she shared with Stop Watch magazine, these informal conversations are a source of “great ideas” and offer a direct channel to address employee concerns.
Supporting the frontline employees are seven profit managers, ensuring robust management coverage. A rotating “manager on duty” is always available and reachable by cell phone to handle any issues that may arise, at any hour. This management structure enhances employee support and provides Griffith with greater schedule flexibility. As a mother to a young child, Griffith balances her work and family life by working at the plaza four days a week. This arrangement, she notes, not only allows for more time with her son but also “increases productivity and allows dedicated time for projects like accounting to be handled at home.”
To maintain strategic alignment and encourage idea sharing, the seven profit managers convene twice monthly. These meetings serve as a platform for sharing profit center updates, reviewing budgets and contracts, and fostering collaborative problem-solving. Each manager is accountable for their budget forecasts and is incentivized to meet financial targets. The monthly budget reviews provide the leadership team with a clear and current understanding of financial performance.
Beyond budget discussions, these meetings are structured to stimulate innovation. Each meeting spotlights one manager and their profit center, encouraging focused brainstorming and idea generation. Griffith emphasizes the value and engaging nature of these sessions, stating, “These meetings are incredibly valuable, and we make sure they’re enjoyable too.” One tangible outcome of these collaborative meetings was the introduction of coupon booklets, distributed to each truck upon arrival, showcasing the various profit centers within the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza.
The Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza exemplifies how a travel stop can thrive by prioritizing its team, embracing innovative solutions like TSE, and maintaining a strong focus on the bottom line. Under Tristen Rust Griffith’s leadership, the plaza not only meets the needs of the high volume of truck drivers passing through Sacramento but also sets a high standard for travel plazas nationwide.
