Pilot Flying J Provides Progress Update on Five-Point Plan

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Pilot Flying J is making strides in its mission to right wrongs. As of Dec. 31, the travel stop operator paid back approximately 95 percent of its customers with discrepancies in their fuel rebate accounts -- plus 6 percent.

In an update on its rebate education website, rebateeducation.pilotflyingj.com, the company said its internal auditors continue to work to evaluate and re-evaluate customer accounts.

"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 company said.

In addition to the review by internal auditors, Pilot Flying J said its customers now also have the option to have a third-party independent auditor review their records, at no cost to the customer.

The Knoxville-based company also continues to work with its external compliance advisory committee. The committee has met with many of Pilot Flying J's managers and employees, and continues to review company policies, procedures and processes. Recommendations from the compliance advisory committee could come by the end of the first quarter, with full implementations by mid-2014, the company added.

The retailer, which thanked its customers for their continued support and loyalty, also continues to cooperate with the independent special investigator.

These steps are all part of Pilot Flying J's  five-point strategy to address several issues that came to light as a result of the federal investigation into allegations of fraud in its fuel rebate program. CEO Jimmy Haslam detailed the strategy one week after the April 15 raid on the company's Knoxville headquarters, as CSNews Online previously reported.

Pilot Flying J is a family-owned business that was started by Haslam's father in 1958. The company operates more than 650 retail locations and is the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America.