Ohio Carrier Latest to Sue Pilot Flying J, More Litigation Expected
The umpteenth lawsuit has been filed against Pilot Flying J in the wake of a federal investigation into the company going public in mid-April following a raid on the company’s headquarters by the FBI.

Photo: Evan Lockridge, eelcom, inc.
The umpteenth lawsuit has been filed against Pilot Flying J in the wake of a federal investigation into the company going public in mid-April following a raid on the company’s headquarters by the FBI.

Photo: Evan Lockridge
Ohio-based FST Express has filed suit in federal court in Columbus claiming that it lost more than $75,000 in a scheme by Pilot Flying J to withhold rebates from fuel purchases to customers.
There is an expectation of more lawsuits because the attorney who filed this latest one said it is the first of several he will file, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer
The case is of one of more than two-dozen that have been filed against the truckstop operator over similar claims. It also means the FST will not take part in a recently negotiated settlement between Pilot Flying J and several companies who earlier filed lawsuits against it.
The settlement calls for Pilot Flying J to pay back these companies everything they feel they are owned plus interest. Those that do not want to be a part of the settlement, and there are several companies that do not, have until Oct. 15 to opt-out. A fairness hearing over it is set for late next month. It’s estimated the settlement could cost Pilot Flying J more than $40 million plus legal fees.
So far seven Pilot Flying J employees have pleaded guilty for their roles in the alleged scheme, but none have been sentenced. At least one of them is accused in the FST Express lawsuit. Other employees with Pilot Flying J have been placed on administrative leave, with one also being named in the FST Express litigation.
Late last month Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam addressed reporters for a little more than 10-minutes at the company’s Knoxville headquarters but did not take questions.
"Since April 15, we have done our best to investigate the allegations made against some members of our diesel fuel sales team, to identify any wrongdoing, and to assure our customers that we will not tolerate that kind of behavior anywhere in our company, and we will make right 100 percent any errors we discover,” he said.
Haslam noted the company is in the final steps of auditing all of its other diesel fuel accounts using a direct discount agreement dating back to 2005. The company expects to finish this process by the end of the year, but stressed that the field audit team found that only a small fraction of Pilot's customers were impacted. So far, the team has audited almost 7,000 diesel fuel sales customers, according to Haslam.
Despite saying the past several months have been "a very humbling and embarrassing time for myself, my family, and for Pilot Flying J,” Haslam has continued to deny the company did anything wrong or that he knew about any alleged impropriety.
More Drivers

FDA Eases Path for Oral-Fluid Testing
Federal actions could advance oral-fluid drug testing for truck drivers, but lab certification delays and marijuana rescheduling questions remain.
Read More →
Why Hiring Truck Drivers Is Getting Harder
Higher recruiting costs, a shrinking driver pool, and renewed pay competition are raising the stakes for fleets heading into 2027.
Read More →
Roehl Offers Truck Drivers $10,000 Retention Incentive
Payments begin after the first load and continue in mileage-based installments for eligible experienced drivers joining the fleet.
Read More →
Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools
Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
Samsara Launches Custom AI Agent Builder
Agent Studio lets fleets create AI tools for hours-of-service monitoring, reporting and driver support, including agents that communicate by phone.
Read More →
Trucker Path Expands Reserved Parking Network
Trucker Path has added close to 6,000 more truck parking spaces to its Trucker Path Reserved Parking Network with the addition of Safe Truck Parking.
Read More →
EEOC Sues Texas Trucking Company Over Driver Age Limits
The agency says Trancasa USA rejected applicants over 65 and applied tougher driving-record standards to those over 60.
Read More →
Nussbaum, Roehl Announce Second Driver Pay Increase This Year
This year has seen a swath of major truck driver pay increases as freight capacity has tightened.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
