No Objections to Pilot Flying J Settlement, Some Opt-Out
As red-letter day approaches in Federal Court in Arkansas next week for a judge to approve a class action settlement between the truckstop chain Pilot Flying J and trucking companies that claim they were cheated out of rebates from diesel purchases, no one in the class has yet to object to the deal, but some are pursuing their own remedies.

Photo: Evan Lockridge
As red-letter day approaches in Federal Court in Arkansas next week for a judge to approve a class action settlement between the truckstop chain Pilot Flying J and trucking companies that claim they were cheated out of rebates from diesel purchases, no one in the class has yet to object to the deal, but some are pursuing their own remedies.

According to published reports, attorneys for Pilot Flying J this week have asked the judge in the case to approve the more than $72 million settlement. A fairness hearing on it is set for Nov. 25 for final approval, after the judge tentatively signed off on it earlier this year.
Reportedly, only 1% or about 60 of Pilot Flying J’s more than 6,000 fleet customers have asked to be excluded from the settlement, choosing instead to pursue their own litigation, though Pilot Flying J has said that figure includes approximately 150 individual accounts.
More than $59 million in the form of reimbursements and interest will be distributed to trucking companies, with the rest going to pay for attorney fees.
The settlement comes in the wake of a raid on Pilot Flying J’s Knoxville headquarters in mid-April by FBI and IRS agents as part of their investigation the company was possibly cheating customers out of rebates due to them from fuel purchases.
So far seven Pilot Flying J employees have pleaded guilty for their roles but have yet to be sentenced with some being granted immunity by prosecutors for their cooperation. Around a dozen are reportedly cooperating with investigators and some have speculated others will eventually be charged in the alleged scheme.
Pilot Flying J and CEO Jimmy Haslam have denied any wrongdoing despite the settlement. In the meantime the company has deployed a team of internal auditors and contract auditors to sift through which customers were due money and calculating the amounts, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.
More than two-dozen lawsuits have been filed against North America’s largest truckstop operator since the raids, though some of this number is accepting the settlement.
More Drivers

What the Best Fleets to Drive For Teach About Driver Retention
Survey fatigue, AI-powered routing, owner-operator expectations, and the decline of social media all emerged as themes from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program.
Read More →
Driver Retention Lessons From the Best Fleets to Drive For
What separates trucking's best workplaces from the rest? Jane Jazrawy shares the biggest lessons from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program on driver retention, communication, AI, and workforce trends on the HDT Talks Trucking podcast.
Read More →
Farewell, CDL: Why I'm Giving Up My Commercial Driver's License
After more than 20 years as a CDL holder, HDT Executive Editor Jack Roberts is letting his commercial license expire. Not because he wants to — but because trucking's nuclear verdict crisis has made the risks of public-road test drives too great for editors, manufacturers, and everyone involved.
Read More →How Top Trucking Fleets Improve Driver Retention [Video]
What do healthy snacks, optimized routing, and just picking up the phone have in common? They're all strategies the Best Fleets to Drive For are using to retain truck drivers.
Read More →
Trucker Path Adds Verisk CargoNet Theft Data to Navigation Platform
Trucker Path’s new cargo theft risk overlays give drivers and fleets visibility into high-risk areas, stolen commodity trends, and theft hotspots.
Read More →
Netradyne Intelligence Uses New AI Agents to Automate Response to In-Cab Camera Data
The company called the next-generation in-cab camera safety platform "a fundamental shift from systems that report on what happened to systems that actively drive what should happen next."
Read More →
Why Truck Detention Keeps Costing Fleets Time and Money
A 2024 ATRI study found detention affects nearly 40% of truckload stops and costs the industry more than $15 billion annually. Despite the toll on drivers, fleets, and supply chains, the problem remains stubbornly persistent.
Read More →
Prime Inc. to Open $7.9M Flagship Used-Truck Dealership
A new driver-focused facility to sell Prime Inc's used trucks and trailers will be the first purpose-built location in the company's history.
Read More →Short Takes: Inside K&B’s Truck Safety Tech
Listen to learn how K&B Transportation uses cellphone-blocking technology, speed management systems, weather geofencing, bridge avoidance tools, and more to improve driver safety.
Read More →
Nussbaum Expands Driver Compensation with Pay Raises, Profit Sharing
Nussbaum Transportation said its latest compensation package could push first-year driver earnings above $90,000 in key hiring markets.
Read More →
