Pilot Flying J says it is on track to offer diesel exhaust fluid at the pump at nearly every diesel lane at the company’s travel centers and travel plazas across the U.S. by October.

In March, Pilot Flying J announced that the company’s network of DEF at the pump had reached 3,000 lanes nationwide. Moving toward the goal of offering the convenience of DEF at the pump at a vast majority of all diesel lanes by fall of this year, the availability has increased to 3,407 lanes across 404 store locations.

“If we can find a way to save drivers time and hassle, it’s well worth the investment,” said Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam, whose company has spent $165 million to date in expanding its network of DEF at the pump.

Pilot Flying J first started offering DEF at the pump in 2009 and says it was the first retailer to do so. The company now offers more than twice as many lanes with DEF at the pump than its closest competitor. A full list of locations with DEF at the pump is available at www.pilotflyingj.com.

DEF is a nontoxic solution used in vehicles with Selective Catalytic Reduction systems to reduce levels of NOx emissions. Diesel engines purchased after Jan. 1, 2010, require the use of DEF in vehicles using SCR technology to reduce emissions and meet the Environmental Protection Agency 2010 standards.

DEF at the pump allows drivers to dispense the fluid conveniently from the fuel island into the DEF tank of their truck or vehicle. In addition to the convenience of DEF at the pump, all Pilot Flying J locations sell DEF in one-gallon and 2.5-gallon containers.

By October, all but seven locations within the Pilot Flying J network of more than 650 travel centers and travel plazas nationwide will offer DEF at the pump. The locations that will not be able to offer DEF at the pump due to size restrictions are:

• Pilot Travel Center in Okeechobee, Fla., off the Florida Turnpike at exit 193

• Pilot Travel Center in Cocoa, Fla., off Interstate 95 at exit 201

• Pilot Travel Center in Smyrna, Ga., off Interstate 285 at exit 16

• Pilot Travel Center in Augusta, Ga., off Interstate 20 at exit 194

• Pilot Travel Center in Perryville, Md., off Interstate 95 and Maryland Route 222 at exit 93

• Pilot Travel Center in Troutville, Va., off Interstate 81 at exit 150A or B

• Flying J Travel Plaza in Frazier Park, Calif., off Interstate 5 at exit 205

Read more about DEF in the June special fuel issue of HDT.