Love's Travel Stops Turns Fifty

Tom and Judy Love started out with nothing but a dilapidated gasoline filling station in 1964 under the moniker "Muskrat Corp."

In 1972, Tom and Judy opened their first Love's Country Store in Guymon, Oklahoma; combining a convenience store with a self-service gasoline station..

In 1978, Love's Country Stores began adding in-store delicatessens to their now 60 location-strong network of travel stops spread throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. By now the Love's had dropped the "Muskrat" moniker in favor of the family name, officially rebranding the company "Love's Travel Stops" in 1974.

In 1985, Love's added a full range of gifts and novelties to its retail locations.

Love's today tries to retain the "old country store" feel at many locations: the company also switched to its familiar bright yellow and heart-shaped logo in 1981.

Generating a hair over $26 billion in revenue for 2013, Love’s remains a family-owned and operated business and is currently ranked No. 9 on the Forbes Magazine annual listing of America’s largest private companies.

Love's opened it's first "official" truck stop in 1981; Love's Travel Stop on I-40 in Amarillo, TX.

In 2008, Love's debuted its first Truck Tire Care facility offering roadside assistance and tire care at select locations. And yes that's Michelin's famous "Bibendum" saying hello in the foreground.

Love’s began installing diesel exhaust fluid or DEF pumps on its diesel fuel islands in 2011 and completed its rollout of DEF pumps to all of its travel stop facilities in July 2013.

Love’s is adding "fast-fill" compressed natural gas (CNG) pumps at 11 of its travel stops across Texas and Oklahoma, along with one in Burbank, OH, in the summer of 2014. "Fast-fill" means CNG can be pumped into a Class 8 truck's tanks at 10 equivalent gallons per minute.

Love’s is also planning to buy 55 CNG-powered trucks for its own fuel hauling fleet, Gemini Motor Transport.