“Some of our deliveries had been changed to cash on delivery,” said one former worker. “Then Thursday morning when the order didn’t come in at all we started to be sure something was wrong.”

Workers said they noticed several weeks ago their paychecks were being made out from Able Energy, not All American Plazas, Inc.

Able Energy is a liquid energy distributor based in northern New Jersey .

“We started to wonder what was going on, but no one was really too surprised by the close,” said another worker. “Business hasn’t been good in a couple of years.”

Workers were informed March 20 of the March 21 closing.

“It came pretty suddenly,” said a former fuel attendant. “Which is too bad, because there were drivers I saw almost every day, and I didn’t get to say goodbye to those guys. We had forged some really strong friendships over the years.”

None of the former employees wanted to be identified.

Former owner Mike Johnston called the closing “the end of an era” as he announced it to the workers.

“Mike really seemed upset. This had been his family’s business before it was bought out a few years ago,” said a worker present for the announcement.

Johnston declined to comment on the closing.

The truck stop originally opened in 1982 as a Unocal 76 Auto Truck Stop Network member. Then in 1994 the Triple J Fuel Stop was formed.

Several years later, the Johnston family purchased the company and operated it as an independent facility under the Keystone Shortway Travel Center banner until April 2004.

At that time the business was purchased by All American Plazas Incorporated.

Full-time workers will be eligible for unemployment compensation.