Profile: TravelCenters of America LLC (TA)

TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters) operates and franchises travel centers primarily along the United States interstate highway system. The Company’s customers include trucking fleets and their drivers, independent truck drivers and motorists. As of December 31, 2011, its business included 237 travel centers located in 41 states in the United States and the province of Ontario, Canada. As of December 31, 2011, the Company’s travel centers included 168 operated under the TravelCenters of America (TA) brand names, including 144 that it operated and 24 that franchisees operated, and 69 that were operated under the Petro brand name, including 50 that it operated and 19 that franchisees operated. The Company offers a range of products and services, including diesel fuel and gasoline, truck repair and maintenance services, full-service restaurants, more than 20 different brands of quick serve restaurants (QSRs), travel and convenience stores and various driver amenities. The United States travel center and truck stop industry in which it operates consists of travel centers, truck stops, diesel fuel outlets and similar properties. In December 2012, the Company acquired and rebranded a travel center in Florence, South Carolina, to the Petro Stopping Centers brand.

In March 2011, the Company purchased a travel center in Texas and opened it for business as a Petro Stopping Center in May 2011. In May 2011, it acquired six travel centers located in Indiana and Illinois. In June 2011, the Company purchased a travel center in Kansas. In March 2012, the Company purchased an additional travel center. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company added four franchise sites.

Gasoline

The Company sells branded and unbranded gasoline. As of December 31, 2011, it offered branded gasoline at 154 of its 237 travel centers and unbranded gasoline at 65 of its travel centers. The Company did not offer gasoline at 18 of its travel centers.

Full Service Restaurants and QSRs

Most of the Company’s travel centers have both full-service restaurants and QSRs that offer customers a variety of branded food choices. The majority of its full-service restaurants are operated under its Iron Skillet and Country Pride brands and offer menu table service and buffets. It also operates more than 20 different brands of QSRs, including Arby's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, Pizza Hut, Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits, Starbuck's Coffee, Subway and Taco Bell. As of December 31, 2011, 213 of its travel centers included a full-service restaurant, 141 of its travel centers offered at least one QSR, and there were a total of 270 QSRs in its 237 travel centers. At its company operated sites it operates substantially all of these QSRs as a franchisee.

Truck Service

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had truck repair and maintenance facilities at all but 14 of its travel centers. The typical repair and maintenance facility has between three and six service bays and a parts storage room and is staffed by its mechanics and service technicians. These shops generally operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, and offer maintenance and emergency repair and road services, ranging from basic services, such as oil changes and tire repair to specialty services, such as diagnostics and repair of air conditioning, air brakes and electrical systems. Some of its repair and maintenance services are guaranteed by its warranties. Most of the Company’s truck repair and maintenance facilities provide some warranty work on Daimler Trucks North America (Daimler) brand trucks through its participation in the Freightliner ServicePoint and Western Star ServicePoint programs.

Roadside Repair

RoadSquad is a roadside truck service program that operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week and consists of a fleet of approximately 400 service trucks. Service trucks are centrally dispatched to assist customers with repairs when they are unable to bring their truck to its travel center due to a break down.

Travel and Convenience Stores

At each of the Company’s travel centers it offers a travel and convenience store that offers merchandise to truck drivers, motorists, recreational vehicle operators and bus drivers and passengers. Its travel and convenience stores have a selection of over 4,000 items, including packaged food and snack items, beverages, non-prescription drug and beauty supplies, batteries, automobile accessories, and music and video products. Each location also has a bar offering brewed coffee, hot dogs, prepared sandwiches and other prepared foods. Its stores also sell items designed for the truck driver's on the road lifestyle, including laundry supplies, clothing, truck accessories and a range of electronics.

Additional Driver Services

Most of the Company’s travel centers provide truck drivers with access to specialized business services, including an information center where drivers can send and receive faxes, overnight mail and other communications and a banking desk where drivers can cash checks and receive funds transfers from fleet operators. Its travel center also offers wireless fidelity (WiFi) Internet access and has a video game room, a laundry area with washers and dryers, private showers and areas designated for truck drivers only, including a theater or big screen television room with a video player and seating. Some of its travel centers offer casino gaming and some offer exercise facilities.

Marketing

The Company offers commercial truck and other customer loyalty programs, the principal program being the UltraOne Club, that are similar to the frequent shopper programs offered by other retailers. Drivers receive points for diesel fuel purchases and for spending on selected nonfuel products and services. These points can be redeemed for discounts on nonfuel products and services at its travel centers. In addition, it publishes a magazine called RoadKing, which includes articles and advertising of interest to professional truck drivers.

The Company competes with Pilot Flying J and Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores.