Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to TA

rmctt2 · Jun 2, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

A Team;
You have a good point !
As far as purchasing other things at truck stop vers Wally World or WallFart as I like call them, etc..
I very good friend of mine owns 5 Convenience Stores in Skowheagan Maine area. He used to get mad a me because I would rather go to places like Wally World to purcahse milk, etc...than his stores because of the expense, etc.
He said to me that what makes him so succesful is because people would rather go into a Convenience Store because of the conveniense of it all.
I quess that is why truckers purchase their things at the truck stops like T/A and Petro.. It is easier and more convenient so they can get in and out quicker !! Pay more for it but simplicity is there !
I do hope that T/A cleans up their act as far as cleanliness goes !
Someone should call the Board Of Health on some of their Rest Rooms Facilties..Dirty as hell , faucets do not work , smelly, etc...
I wanted to puke at the odor of the one on I-85 in Spartanburg , SC.. Terribly horrid !! Almost like being in a raunch dirty movie theater...LOL
rmctt2

tec1959 · Jun 2, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

I hope Petro's stay Petro's because TA's are to OLD and NASTY.Petro's have a pretty good buffet and good food shops.And the inside stores no other truck stop comes close.

brownie4042 · Jun 2, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

Swifty and Greg: Great point abut fuel hedges,I know Pilot uses them along with the other majors I assume. This is one way the true margins are kept somewhat "clouded". One of the reasons I put out the point about razor-thin margins was one of my last assignments was co-managing a Pilot that was going "head to head" with a a brand new "ground-up" J that like Pilot does when first opened will do anything to buy marketshare. Although I still contend in certain markets they are still tight (Gary, Ga. and others) and likewise Oregon and Ca I think are very generous. One the main reasons for me "jumping" to our side from the truckstop mgmt. side was after 12 years 60 hours weeks of drivers some justifed, some not, "bitching' about prices. I came up "old school" whereas I looked forward to handing a driver a simple fuel ticket with a smile and thanks for your business, and in turn he thanked me. Coffee and showers where a "given" with no strings attached. Then the "bean counters" got involved and coffee and showers went from a a promo incentive to purchase fuel,to a profit center that anal controls were installed to track, accumulate and over "crunch" to death the numbers. But then some drivers that went from a small minority to growing trend also "blew it" by coming in with "jerry cans" to fill with coffee, and also started "scaming" Pilot's clean showers.

As far as the point about the value of the Petro buyout,the simple math would be about $10 mil/unit, correct? I am extreamly aware of how scaled down many Pilot's are to the TA's, J's, and TA's by working at many through out the US, and having the most overused line by drivers being, "when is Pilot going to build some sites with some f@#$%^parking", and I don't want a "f@#$%" Subway sandwich, I want to sit down and have a real meal! Maybe the Williams (the 43 Williams Pilot kept are on the "bigboys scale") buy on Pilot's part I knew was a "firesale" on Corp. Williams to sell assets, but compared to what TA is paying Pilot puled off a "major Brinks Job."

Lastly I think the majors are way to "hung-up" on NOC, (Net operating cost per gallon,which does not include any fuel margin) Charging for everything, and "pushing" the mark-ups to the max what drivers will accept, and sometimes even having to back off polices or pricing increases. So please as a driver if a price or a policy is "getting to you", mention it to the clerk in a "professional way", let the manager on duty have it "stronger" if you feel it is needed, but most importanly give that 800 # a call when you can speak to a "live" body, and once again speak from a professional point of view, a "swearing" rant is just turned off. I know for a fact enough drivers called in on Pilot's last attempt to raise fees and change the rules on points that Pilot had to back off and it got reversed. Enough of my "rant".

Brownie

swiftyexp · Jun 2, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

Great Point about the NOC. With most majors that is the report card for the Location Managers.

Crazynuff · Jun 2, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

How many of you are aware that Hospitality Properties bought T/A in January so the "owners of T/A " aren't as bad as you think .

unorthodoxneon · Jun 2, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

Man too much reading for me but i did read most of it.

One things that comes to my mind when mentioned that TA and Petro will be their own reminds me of a little company called Daimler and another called chrysler... I wonder how that story ended??? x(

fortwayne · Jun 3, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

As long as Flying J is not up and buying or expanding it hopefully will work out for everyone in the end.
Just think if Flying J would buy out Pilot - oh goodness the name of
"The Flying Pilot" - oh please say it will never happen!

Fort Wayne
Boycott The Flyless J!

Crazynuff · Jun 3, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

>Man too much reading for me but i did read most of it.
>
>One things that comes to my mind when mentioned that TA and
>Petro will be their own reminds me of a little company
>called Daimler and another called chrysler... I wonder how
>that story ended??? x(
That story isn't nearly ended . How about Chinese owned Jeep dealerships ? http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=3739 . I've read of that possibility in other articles . But Jeep doesn't have any dealerships of their own . Would the Chinese buy Dodge as well ? ( and maybe kill it off like Chrysler did AMC products when they bought AMC to get Jeep ? )

swiftyexp · Jun 3, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

I am aware of hosiptality trust purchase of ta. HTP also Spun Off TA at or about that same time. I also Know that HPT is primarily in the hotel business owning businesses like Holiday INN, Hyatt, Amerisuites, Holiday Inn Select, just to name a small percentages of the businesses they do own. We will see but I don't think you are going to see much change in appearance or operations of TA's or etro's for time being. You see TA wasn't talked about as much in January because at least I felt like they could only get better not much worse, but I do think that Petro's name and locations can be damaged.

Here is another think to ponder. Here is a list of HPT Ownership:

Ameriwood Suites
Candlewood Suites
Country Inn and Suites
Courtyard
Crowne Plaza
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn Select
Homestead studios suites motels
Hyatt Place
Intercontienal
Hyatt
Park Place Motel
Marriott
Radisson
Residence Inn
Springhill suites
stay bridge suites
towne place suites

TA
Petro

Coming Soon?????

Pilot?
Flying J?
Loves?

all of the above

If they would improve the TA's to some of these motels

Thank See Yall Later

ATeam · Jun 3, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

I would love to see the faces of the HPT hotel exceuctives when they walk into a truck stop for the first time to view their newly-acquired property.

dhalltoyo · Jun 5, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

I hope they visit the TA in Spartanburg, SC first.

Hopefully the shock will stimulate them to clean up the deplorable conditions at that location.

My personal preferences:

1. Privately owned small truck stops (Far and few between, but they do exist)

2. Loves (Fast food, but consistently clean and well-stocked)

3. Pilot (Decent coffee, usually clean, fuel quality seems to vary)

4. Flying J (Well organized, roomy Driver's Lounge, lots of services, cleanliness rates 50/50 depending on the newness of the location)

5. Petro (Usually clean, decent C-Stores, kind of skimpy on the Driver's Lounge seating)

6. TA (No middle-of-the-road here, either decent or dump)

fortwayne · Jun 10, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

Yea, your right about TA - either really good or a dive, like the one in Normal, IL right off 55. Man, what a dump.

Fort Wayne
Boycott The Flyless J!

Moot · Jun 10, 2007

RE: Speaking of T/Stops Petro Truck Stops Sold to

Kinda disappointing when you drive back there, break a few springs, bend a wheel rim and lose two teeth only to find out they don't sell gasoline.