NATSO Unveils Latest Course in Truckstop Learning Series

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The NATSO Foundation launched the third installment in its online training suite, "How Truckstops Help People," called "How Truckstops Help Drivers in Distress."

The 30-minute course is designed to promote highway safety by teaching truckstop owners, operators and employees how to assist someone who may be experiencing physical, emotional or financial distress at their location.  

"Anything that distracts a driver from the primary task of driving significantly increases the chance of a driver being involved in a crash," said NATSO Foundation Chairman Jenny Love Meyer. "Truckstop and travel plaza employees have the ability to help drivers manage or eliminate driving distractions before they are on the interstate.

"Whether it's placing a call to emergency services, helping a driver who is unable to continue on as the operator of a vehicle or making drivers aware of resources, truckstops and travel plazas have an important role to play," she added.

"How Truckstops Help Drivers in Distress" is available on the NATSO Foundation's new learning management system for free.

As CSNews Online previously reported, "How Truckstops Help People" is the NATSO Foundation's first online training educational suite consisting of four e-learning courses intended to help teach members of the truck stop and travel plaza industry how to respond to requests for help from people in need of assistance in various life-threatening scenarios.

The first two modules, "The Role of Truckstops in Combating Human Trafficking" and "How Truckstops Help the Homeless," launched earlier this year. A fourth course planned for the series will focus on how to help drivers during a natural disaster.

The NATSO Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO Inc. Alexandria-based NATSO is a trade organization representing America's travel plazas and truck stops.