Known to many as the “Triple T,” the original Tucson Truck Terminal opened at 5451 E. Benson Hwy in 1954.
“[My Grandfather] started the Tucson Truck Terminal over on the old Benson Highway,” said JJ Jakubik, co-owner of the truck stop. He says his grandfather, Ira T. Morris would sleep at his desk at night so that he could help truckers whenever they pulled up.
“The dog would start barking and that would wake him up,” recalled Jakubik to KGUN9 News. “He’d wake up, go help service the truck, and go back and catch another hour or whatever until the next truck came through.”
This dedication to serving truckers helped the business during its relocation in 1966 after the completion of Interstate 10.
“You had to be on the interstate highway,” explained Jakubik. “As a truck stop you couldn’t be on Benson Highway anymore.”
Jakubik says his grandfather took his life savings and rebuilt the business into a state of the art facility at its new location.
“State of the art truck stop, all of the amenities,” said Jakubik. “Of course the restaurant, and the fueling, showers, motel rooms, barber shop, gift shop. Everything you’d need.”
The Triple T still boats all of these amenities, and even recently renovated its fuel tanks and pumps. Now though, the business has to keep up with a national chain truck stop that was built across the street.
“We’re one of the few independent truck stops in the nation that remain,” Jakubik explained. “It’s not easy to stay in business. But the truckers really appreciate what we’re doing. They would prefer to come and fuel with us, and give us the business, because we bend over backwards to provide them great service.”
“To see that it’s still here, that it’s still thriving and we’re still serving the community and truckers here, my grandfather would be extremely proud.”