Pilot Flying J Partners With Truckers to Triathletes

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Pilot Flying J, as part of its commitment to better health, is teaming up with Truckers to Triathletes (T2T) to support professional Triathlon series, Pilot Flying J was introduced to Truckers to Triathletes, a group of professional drivers committed to completing triathlon events.

"We know Rev3 participants and their families drive all over the country to participate in Rev3 events, so it was a great fit for us to help meet the needs of our customers," said Dave Parmly, manager of employee services for Pilot Flying J. "When we heard about Truckers to Triathletes, we wanted to get our professional driver customers involved. We were thrilled to find that Truckers to Triathletes were people who overcame obstacles that all drivers face, meeting the challenges of both their profession and the sport of triathlons." 

Professional drivers face difficult obstacles in leading healthy lifestyles due to the nature of their job, which requires long periods of inactivity behind the wheel, coupled with limited access to healthy food options and gym facilities. In addition, there are new, tougher federal guidelines that drivers must meet in order to maintain their commercial licenses, and poor health can keep drivers off the road and out of work, according to Pilot Flying J.

Through its new partnership with the Portland T2T team, the company plans to use the Rev3 Triathlon on July 8, in Portland, Ore., to kick off a training plan designed to meet professional drivers’ fitness needs. The training will culminate when the T2T team participates in the Rev3 race in Anderson, S.C., this October. During the training period, Pilot Flying J is working with T2T to develop ideas and strategies that the partner organizations hope to share with even more drivers in the future.

"Pilot Flying J will use this as an opportunity to learn more about how to help drivers focus on their health," Parmly said.

The retailer has already begun developing information and products that reflect the unique health concerns of professional drivers when they stop in a travel center or travel plaza.

"At Pilot Flying J, we are focused on the driver when we plan food choices and other amenities because we know that the place where professional drivers fuel their trucks is also the place where they get their meals, showers and rest," said Jimmy Haslam, CEO of Pilot Flying J. "As the nation’s leading provider of diesel fuel to America’s trucking fleets, we are committed to the professional driver, to meeting their needs and keeping their health in mind as we serve them daily in our travel centers and travel plazas across North America."