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                                                                   Exhibit 10.36

                          MARKETING SERVICES AGREEMENT
                            BETWEEN PETRO AND MOBIL

This Marketing Services Agreement is made on January 30, 1997, between Mobil Oil
Corporation, ("Mobil"), a New York corporation having its principal place of
business at 3225 Gallows Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22037, and Petro Stopping
Centers, L.P. ("Petro"), a Delaware limited partnership having its principal
place of business at 6080 Surety Drive, El Paso, Texas 79905 ("Agreement").

                                 INTRODUCTION

A.   Petro is involved in the operation, management, development, franchising
     and/or ownership of truckstops and lubrication centers and certain
     businesses in connection therewith, including but not limited to the sale
     of petroleum products, sundry products and services, and the operation of
     restaurants, and any and all activities related to truckstops or in any
     manner incidental to any of the foregoing.

B.   Mobil is a multinational company engaged and having considerable experience
     in the marketing of fuels and petroleum products.

C.   Petro wishes to benefit from Mobil's experience and knowledge and is
     interested in obtaining advice, assistance and information from Mobil on
     matters such as marketing plans and strategies, growth strategies, and
     improved financial performance with the view to expanding and improving
     Petro's business performance.

                                   AGREEMENT


1.   THE SERVICES
     ------------

     1.1  Mobil will provide advice and assistance to Petro on matters
          pertaining to the distribution and marketing of fuels and petroleum
          products as more particularly set out in Schedule A of this Agreement
          (as may be amended by the parties from time to time) ("the Services").

     1.2  Petro will provide, at no cost to Mobil, office space in its El Paso
          office and adequate administrative support for three Mobil employees
          (including the Loaned Employee as that term is defined in Schedule A).

     1.3  Petro will hire and employ, at its sole cost, two accounting clerks to
          report to and assist the Mobil employee with the title Supervisor,
          Branded Accounting.
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2.   ADDITIONAL SERVICES
     --------------------

     2.1  In the event it is determined at any time by the Petro Board,
          Executive Committee or Operating Committee that outside resources,
          consulting or other services, are needed to support Petro, either on
          an on-going basis or on a project basis, Mobil will be given
          preference to provide such resources or services as it is able on
          commercially reasonable terms.

3.   FEES
     ----

     3.1  As compensation for the Services provided by Mobil, Petro shall pay to
          Mobil the Marketing Services Fees and costs as set out in Schedule B
          of this Agreement (as may be amended by the parties from time to time)
          ("the Marketing Services Fees").

4.   TAXES
     -----

     4.1  Income taxes arising from the payment to Mobil of the Marketing
          Services Fees are to be borne by Mobil.

5.   ADVISORY NATURE
     ---------------

     5.1  The Services to be performed by Mobil under this Agreement are solely
          advisory in nature, and Mobil is not responsible or liable under this
          Agreement for the conduct of Petro's business or for the success, or
          otherwise, of it.

     5.2  Mobil shall perform all Services as an independent contractor to
          Petro. Mobil is not an agent or representative of Petro and, unless
          authorized to do so by Petro , has no authority to act for or to bind
          Petro without its prior written consent.

6.   TERM AND TERMINATION
     --------------------

     6.1  This Agreement shall commence as of the Closing Date (as such term is
          defined in the Omnibus Agreement, dated as of October 18, 1996, as
          amended, among Petro, Mobil Long Haul Inc. and the other parties
          thereto) and continue in effect for an initial term of 10 years. This
          Agreement will automatically be extended for any number of additional
          one-year periods unless, at least three months prior to the expiration
          date of the initial term or any extension period, a party notifies the
          other party in writing of its intention to terminate the Agreement,
          whereupon this Agreement will terminate on the relevant expiration
          date.

     6.2  Mobil may terminate this Agreement upon notice to Petro:

          (a) if there is any material change in the nature of Petro's business
              or ownership of its assets,

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          (b) if, in Mobil's sole opinion, to continue the Agreement would
              adversely affect Mobil's highly regarded brand name or reputation,

          (c) if there is any material change in the ownership of the
              partnership interests in Petro or in the management of Petro, or

          (d) if there is a breach of this Agreement by Petro which is not
              rectified within fourteen (14) days of receiving written notice of
              such breach from Mobil.

     6.3  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, 1) Petro
          may terminate this Agreement on thirty (30) days prior written notice
          in the event that neither Mobil nor any Mobil Affiliate (as such term
          is defined in Section 9.2 below) holds an equity interest in Petro and
          2) Mobil may terminate this Agreement at any time upon sixty (60) days
          written notice to Petro.

7.   CONFIDENTIALITY
     ---------------

     7.1  All information and advice furnished to Petro under this Agreement and
          derived from or based on Mobil research, technology, analysis,
          experience, mode of operation, methodology or practice, together with
          all information and advice embodied in manuals, studies, audio or
          visual aids, training materials, any other documents or any written or
          verbal communications, shall, if designated by Mobil as proprietary or
          confidential, be regarded and treated as information proprietary to
          Mobil, and shall not be duplicated, published or otherwise disclosed
          by Petro, its directors, officers and employees to any third party
          without the prior written approval of Mobil. Petro shall take
          appropriate measures to safeguard the confidential nature of such
          proprietary information and shall prevent unauthorized access thereto
          at all times during the term of this Agreement. Upon termination of
          this Agreement for any cause, Petro shall return to Mobil all such
          proprietary information, including any and all copies. The obligations
          of confidentiality and non-disclosure contained in this Section 7.1
          continue in full force and effect for a period of three years beyond
          any termination or expiration of this Agreement.

     7.2  For purposes of Section 7.1, "confidential information" shall not
          include information which is or becomes publicly available,
          information acquired on a non-confidential basis, information approved
          for publication by Mobil or information disclosed pursuant to a court
          order so long as Petro seeks a protective order to protect such
          information from further disclosure.

     7.3  The provisions of Sections 7.1 and 7.2 shall be mutual. Mobil shall
          observe and be bound by the same obligations as to confidential and
          proprietary information of Petro as are required of Petro to Mobil in
          Sections 7.1 and 7.2 above.

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8.   FORCE MAJEURE
     -------------

     8.1  Neither Mobil nor Petro is liable for, or for any loss or damage
          resulting from, any delay in performing or for failure to perform any
          of its obligations under this Agreement (other than the obligation to
          make payments) to the extent that delay or failure is caused in any
          substantial part:

          8.1.1  by compliance with any order, request or control of any
                 government or governmental authority or person purporting to
                 act for either; or

          8.1.2  by anything beyond its immediate control including, but without
                 limitation, strikes, lockouts, acts of God, war and public
                 disorder.

     8.2  If either party's delay in performing or failing to perform its
          obligations under this Agreement is caused by any event referred to in
          Section 8.1, and the delay or failure is not remedied within six (6)
          months of the delay or failure first occurring, either party may
          terminate this Agreement by giving the other thirty (30) days' written
          notice.

9.   MISCELLANEOUS
     -------------

     9.1  This Agreement is entered into in good faith. If any dispute arises as
          to the validity, interpretation or performance of this Agreement or of
          any obligation under it, the parties undertake in good faith to
          attempt to resolve such dispute on amicable terms, failing which
          either party may refer the dispute to a court having jurisdiction in
          Delaware. This Agreement shall be subject to and governed by the laws
          of the State of Delaware regardless of applicable conflict of laws
          rules or principles, or the fact that either or both of the parties
          now is or may become a resident of a different state or county.

     9.2  Neither party may assign this Agreement or any part of it without the
          prior written consent of an authorized representative of the other
          party; provided, however, that Mobil may assign all or any part of its
          rights and obligations under this Agreement to an Affiliate without
          Petro's consent but upon notice to Petro. For purposes of this
          Agreement, "Affiliate" means a company more than 50% of the voting
          stock of which is owned directly or indirectly by Mobil Oil
          Corporation or Mobil Corporation.

     9.3  All notices and other communications under this Agreement are to be in
          writing and are deemed given when delivered personally by hand against
          receipt, or by facsimile transmission, or by registered mail (return
          receipt requested), postage prepaid, to the parties at the following
          addresses (or to such other address as a party may have specified by
          notice to the other party according to this provision):

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     Notice to Mobil:                    Notice to Petro:

     Mobil Oil Corporation               Petro Stopping Centers, L.P.
     3225 Gallows Road                   6080 Surety Drive
     Fairfax, VA  22037                  El Paso, TX 79905

     ATTN: Manager, Distillate Business  ATTN: James Cardwell, Jr.
                                         or Sr. V.P. Marketing Operations

     With a copy to:                     With a copy to:

     Petro Holdings GP Corp.             Darrell R. Windham, Esq.
     c/o Chartwell Investments           Kemp, Smith, Duncan & Hammond, P.C.
     717 Fifth Avenue                    2000 Norwest Plaza
     New York, NY   10022                El Paso, TX   79901-1441


     9.4  This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement
          between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and
          supersedes any and all such inconsistent prior agreements and
          understandings, whether written or oral, between the parties.

     9.5  If any provision of this Agreement is finally determined by a court of
          competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or
          unenforceability does not affect the other provisions of this
          Agreement.

     9.6  Except as may otherwise be provided, the failure by a party to enforce
          any of its rights under this Agreement is not deemed to be a waiver of
          such rights, unless such waiver is an express written waiver which has
          been signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party.
          Waiver of any one breach is not deemed to be a waiver of any other
          breach of the same or any other provisions of this Agreement.

     9.7  This Agreement may only be modified or amended in writing signed by
          authorized representatives of both parties.

          [The next page is the signature page]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement the day and year first above written.

                              MOBIL OIL CORPORATION

/s/ J. D. Lavery              By:/s/ Mark A. Skolnik   
----------------------           -------------------------------------------- 
Witness                          Title: Attorney-in-fact, Manager, Distillate
                                        Business                              
                              


                              PETRO STOPPING CENTERS, L.P.

/s/ Connie Rogers             BY: /s/ Larry J. Zine 
---------------------            -------------------------------------------- 
Witness                                                                       
                                 Title:  Executive Vice President and 
                                         Chief Financial Officer        

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