[5][4] The company was founded in 1866 as the "Star Tank Line" by Captain Jacob J. Vandergrift (1827–1899),[6] in response to the economic activities of John D. Rockefeller in the years leading up to his creation of Standard Oil.

[6] The first generation of wooden tank cars were introduced to transport petroleum products in 1865, serving the oil fields of Pennsylvania.

[9] In 1873, Standard Oil acquired the Star Tank Line entire fleet for its exclusive use, in an attempt to control petroleum transportation.

[9] The Union Tank Car Company was incorporated in 1891 as a subsidiary of Standard Oil Trust as part of an initiative from Rockefeller.

[2] During the Great Depression, the company acquired thousand of tank cars and began leasing them back to shippers, an activity that has continued to date.