Pilot Flying J: 95% of Customers Owed Money Have Been Paid

Truckstop chain, Pilot Flying J, provided an update Wednesday on where it stands following a raid on company headquarters last April by federal agents, as part of investigation into whether it cheated customers out of money they were due.

Approximately 95% of customers who are owed money have been paid back along with 6% interest, following internal audits, the company said.

“Our internal auditors continue to work hard to evaluate and re-evaluate our customer accounts,” the company said on its Rebate Education website. “Pilot Flying J is committed to providing its customers with access to their audit results, to answer their questions and help ensure our customers feel comfortable with Pilot Flying J’s audit and repayment. We anticipate this process will continue for several more months."

The update follows a class action settlement that was approved by a federal judge late last year, totaling some $85 million dollars, and follows more than two-dozen lawsuits that were filed by trucking companies against Pilot Flying J over claims it withheld money owed to them in the form of rebates from fuel purchases. Despite the settlement, some companies decided to opt-out and continue pursuing their own litigation.

Pilot Flying J also announced customers now have the option to have a third-party independent auditor review their records, at no cost. It also said it continues to cooperate with an Independent Special Investigator and continues to work with its external Compliance Advisory Committee.

“The committee has met with many of our managers and employees, and continues to review our company policies, procedures and processes. We hope to have recommendations from the Compliance Advisory Committee by the end of the first quarter, with full implementations by the middle of 2014,” the company said.

Pilot Flying J and CEO Jimmy Haslam continue to deny they did anything wrong despite the settlement, while seven former company employees have pleaded guilty to their roles in the alleged scam, but have yet to be sentenced. They are reported to be cooperating in the continuing federal ciminal probe.