TravelCenters of America
A U.S. operator of truck stops and highway travel centers providing fuel, food, parking, retail goods, and commercial truck services.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
TravelCenters of America is a U.S. highway travel-center and truck-stop operator whose facilities serve long-haul professional drivers, fleets, passenger motorists, and commercial travelers. The business began in 1972 as Truckstops of America, founded by Phil Saunders, and developed through several ownership changes and acquisitions into one of the largest full-service travel-center networks in the United States. Its principal operating identities are TA, Petro Stopping Centers, and TA Express. The company’s sites typically combine diesel and gasoline sales with truck parking, convenience retail, showers, restaurants, quick-service food, and maintenance and repair. Through TA Truck Service, the business provides scheduled and emergency repair, roadside assistance, tires, inspections, and other support for commercial vehicles. Its restaurant activities have included proprietary concepts such as Country Pride and Iron Skillet as well as acquired and franchised brands, including Quaker Steak & Lube. The company has also operated standalone restaurants and convenience-oriented formats, although the mix of full-service dining and retail offerings has changed over time. TA expanded through acquisitions and consolidation in the truck-stop industry. Ryder acquired the original Truckstops of America business in 1972, Standard Oil of Ohio acquired it in 1984, and BP later sold the chain to Clipper Group in 1993. A 1997 merger with National Auto/Truckstops produced the TravelCenters of America name and was followed by further additions, including Burns Bros. Travel Stops, Travel Ports of America units, and the Petro Stopping Centers operating business in 2007. The company became publicly traded after Hospitality Properties Trust acquired it in 2007, while many locations were held through property arrangements with that real-estate owner. During the 2010s, the company invested in site remodeling, electronic logging-device support, commercial tires, customer technology, and truck-service capabilities. It sold the Minit Mart brand by the end of 2018 and divested Quaker Steak & Lube in 2021. TA also maintained a long-running charitable relationship with the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund, supporting drivers facing financial hardship related to health problems. In February 2023, BP agreed to acquire TravelCenters of America for approximately $1.3 billion in cash. The transaction closed in May 2023, ending TA’s status as an independently listed public company and making it a BP subsidiary. The brand continues to operate under the TA, Petro, and TA Express identities. A planned electric-vehicle charging partnership with Electrify America announced in 2023 was intended to add fast chargers at a substantial number of TA and Petro locations, reflecting the company’s effort to broaden its highway-energy offering beyond conventional fuels.
History
TravelCenters of America traces its origins to 1972, when Phil Saunders established Truckstops of America. Ryder purchased the business later that year. Standard Oil of Ohio acquired the chain in 1984; following BP’s acquisition of Standard Oil of Ohio, the truck-stop operation was sold to Clipper Group in 1993. In 1997, Truckstops of America merged with National Auto/Truckstops and adopted the TravelCenters of America name. National Auto/Truckstops had roots in the earlier Pure Oil truck-stop business, whose locations had subsequently been associated with Union Oil of California and the 76 brand. TA continued consolidating the sector by purchasing Burns Bros. Travel Stops and combining with units of Travel Ports of America. By 2000, the company reported 160 locations in 40 states and approximately 12,500 employees, and it was acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners. Hospitality Properties Trust agreed to acquire TA in 2006, completing the transaction in January 2007. TA became publicly traded on the American Stock Exchange in February of that year while continuing as a subsidiary of the real-estate company. In May 2007, TA acquired the operating businesses of Petro Stopping Centers and leased a group of Petro properties from Hospitality Properties Trust. Petro became one of the company’s principal customer-facing brands. The company pursued a mixture of operational investment and portfolio changes during the 2010s. It remodeled Minit Mart, Petro, and TA sites; expanded truck-service capabilities; supported electronic logging-device adoption following federal requirements; and developed the TA Truck Service Commercial Tire Network. TA also introduced the TA Certified label for used-truck condition certification and moved its national call-center and emergency roadside-assistance operations to an expanded Westlake facility. Corporate and financial pressure was visible during this period. In 2015, investor RDG Capital Management advocated a share-repurchase program and additional real-estate transactions. TA instead entered a substantial sale-leaseback arrangement with Hospitality Properties Trust. The board rejected a Golden Gate Capital buyout proposal in 2016. Leadership changed in 2017 and 2018: Thomas O’Brien announced his departure, Barry Richards moved into president and chief operating officer responsibilities, William Myers became chief financial officer and treasurer, and Andrew Rebholz later became CEO. TA sold its Minit Mart brand by the end of 2018. TA broadened its consumer and fleet-service relationships through a WEX fuel-card partnership in 2018 and continued supporting truck drivers through annual fundraising for the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund. The company acquired the Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant chain in 2016, but later sold that restaurant business in April 2021. Changes in dining patterns after the COVID-19 pandemic also led to the closure of some full-service restaurants. TA previously operated a travel center in Woodstock, Ontario, but closed the Canadian location in 2022. In January 2023, it announced a planned partnership with Electrify America to install electric-vehicle fast chargers at TA and Petro sites. In February 2023, BP agreed to buy TA for approximately $1.3 billion in cash, and the transaction closed in May 2023. TravelCenters of America consequently became part of BP’s mobility and convenience portfolio and ceased to be an independently listed company.
- 2023
BP acquisition closes
[4]BP completes its approximately $1.3 billion cash acquisition of TA.
- 2021
Quaker Steak & Lube is divested
[1]TA sells the restaurant chain to an undisclosed buyer.
- 2019
Jon Pertchik becomes CEO
[1]Jon Pertchik takes over as chief executive following Andrew Rebholz’s resignation.
- 2016
TA acquires Quaker Steak & Lube
[1]TA completes its purchase of the Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant chain.
- 2007
TA becomes publicly traded
[1]Hospitality Properties Trust completes its acquisition, and TA shares begin trading on the American Stock Exchange.
- 2007
Petro Stopping Centers joins the network
[1]TA acquires the operating businesses of Petro Stopping Centers and adds Petro as a major operating brand.
- 2000
Oak Hill Capital Partners acquires TA
[1]TA is acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners after a period of network expansion.
- 1997
Merger creates TravelCenters of America
[1]Truckstops of America merges with National Auto/Truckstops and takes the TravelCenters of America name.
- 1993
TA is sold to Clipper Group
[1]Following BP’s acquisition of Standard Oil of Ohio, the chain is sold to Clipper Group.
- 1984
Standard Oil of Ohio acquires the chain
[1]Standard Oil of Ohio becomes the owner of the truck-stop business.
Products and positioning
A full-service highway service platform for professional truck drivers, trucking fleets, and motorists, combining fuel, food, retail, parking, driver amenities, and commercial-vehicle maintenance.
Travel centers and truck stops
TA
The core TA-branded travel-center format combines diesel and gasoline, truck parking, convenience retail, driver amenities, restaurants, and access to commercial-vehicle services. Locations are generally positioned on major U.S. highway corridors and serve both professional drivers and passenger motorists.
Travel centers and truck stops · 2007
Petro Stopping Centers
Petro is a major truck-stop brand acquired by TA in 2007. Its locations provide fuel, parking, food, retail goods, showers, and truck-service support, with a focus on long-haul trucking routes.
Travel centers and truck stops
TA Express
TA Express is a smaller-format travel-center concept intended to provide core highway services in locations that may not support the full scale of a traditional TA or Petro site. Offerings generally center on fuel, convenience retail, parking, and selected traveler amenities.
Commercial truck maintenance
TA Truck Service
TA Truck Service provides commercial-vehicle repair, preventative maintenance, roadside assistance, emergency support, inspections, and tire services. Its commercial tire network extends the offering beyond individual travel centers through affiliated repair facilities and mobile service resources.
Restaurant
Country Pride
Country Pride is one of TA’s restaurant concepts, historically operated within travel centers and designed around familiar full-service meals for truck drivers and highway travelers.
Restaurant
Iron Skillet
Iron Skillet is a TA restaurant concept offering sit-down dining at selected travel centers. Its presence forms part of the company’s broader food-service proposition alongside quick-service and regional restaurant brands.
Restaurant chain · 2016
Quaker Steak & Lube
TA acquired Quaker Steak & Lube in 2016 and operated the restaurant chain across multiple states, including through franchise development. TA divested the business in 2021, so it is no longer part of the company’s owned restaurant portfolio.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018TA Truck Service Challenge sponsorship
United States
TA sponsored the Truck Service Challenge associated with NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup and Xfinity Series, using motorsport visibility to promote the skills of professional truck-service technicians.
Outcome. Brand and technician-recruitment exposure
- 2010St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund fundraising
United States
TA began annual fundraising support for the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund, which assists professional drivers facing financial difficulty connected with health-related problems. TA has been described as the fund’s largest contributor.
Outcome. Ongoing charitable partnership
Brand decisions
2023
Develop electric-vehicle charging at TA and Petro sitesStrategyBackground
Highway travel centers are adapting to the growth of electric vehicles and the need for longer-distance charging infrastructure.
Action taken
TA and Electrify America announced plans for about 1,000 fast-charging stalls at roughly 200 TA and Petro locations, with installations planned over five years.
Aftermath
The initiative positioned TA’s network as a potential multi-energy highway platform, although the announcement preceded BP’s acquisition of the company.
2023
Sell TravelCenters of America to BPM&ABackground
BP pursued expansion in convenience, mobility, and highway-energy services through a large U.S. travel-center network.
Action taken
BP agreed to acquire TA for approximately $1.3 billion in cash and completed the transaction in May 2023.
Aftermath
TA became a BP subsidiary and ceased to operate as an independently listed public company.
Acquisition consideration. $1.3 billion in cash (Announced February 2023; completed May 2023)
2021
Divest Quaker Steak & LubeStrategyBackground
TA reviewed its restaurant portfolio amid changing travel and dining patterns and a reduced emphasis on some full-service restaurants.
Action taken
TA sold Quaker Steak & Lube to an undisclosed buyer.
Aftermath
The restaurant chain left TA’s owned portfolio while continuing to have a franchise-development orientation.
Sale consideration. $5 million (April 2021)
2018
Partner with WEX for fuel-card servicesStrategyBackground
Fleet customers and professional drivers require payment and fuel-management tools across highway fueling networks.
Action taken
TA partnered with WEX to provide fuel-card services at TA and Petro locations in the United States.
Aftermath
The partnership broadened TA’s fleet-service and payment offering.
2007
Acquire Petro Stopping CentersM&ABackground
TA sought to expand its national truck-stop footprint and add a recognized operating brand.
Action taken
TA acquired Petro’s operating businesses and leased a group of Petro properties from Hospitality Properties Trust.
Aftermath
Petro became one of TA’s principal customer-facing brands.
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