Pilot Flying

What Pilot Flying does

Pilot Travel Centers LLC, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, operates North America's largest travel center network with more than 900 locations across 44 US states and 5 Canadian provinces under the Pilot, Flying J, and One9 brands. Founded in 1958 by James Haslam II as a single gas station in Gate City, Virginia, the company has scaled into a multi-service platform serving approximately 1.2 million guests daily. Its revenue mix spans retail and wholesale fuel (including diesel, gasoline, and B99 biodiesel across 12+ billion gallons annually moved via the third-largest North American tanker fleet), proprietary and branded food (Pilot Eats, Pilot Eats EXPRESS, Pilot Coffee), EV charging (GM Energy, Tesla Megacharger, ChargePoint partnerships), truck care (Southern Tire Mart), reservable parking (Prime Parking), and laundry, showers, and entertainment amenities. A wholly owned Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary since 2024, Pilot combines physical infrastructure scale with a growing digital layer anchored by The Pilot App, Pro Driver Rewards loyalty, and Fleet Solutions direct billing and factoring for commercial trucking operators.

The business model is a hybrid of transaction-based retail (fuel, food, merchandise), usage-based EV charging ($0.56–$0.59 per kWh observed), and recurring fleet billing with direct credit terms. Go-to-market runs through company-owned and franchised travel centers serving professional truck drivers, EV drivers, RV travelers, auto travelers, and enterprise fleet operators. Technology infrastructure is modernizing through a five-year exclusive NCR Voyix AI-enabled POS and fuel platform, a Databricks-based data intelligence platform for personalization and supply chain optimization across 750+ locations, and predictive maintenance tools from Samsara, DataDis, and Noregon. Marketing leverages a mobile app with loyalty programs, an omnichannel social presence, and direct fleet sales.

Customer concentration is structurally low given the 1.2M-daily-guest traffic base and a fragmented fleet customer universe. Moat sources are dominated by physical distribution advantage and efficient scale in fuel logistics, supplemented by brand equity, third-party ecosystem network effects (restaurant and EV charging partner attraction), and modest switching costs from integrated fleet billing. Key risks include 2025 fuel margin compression (revenue down $4.7B and pre-tax earnings off 69%+ per Berkshire disclosures), long-cycle EV transition timing for heavy-duty trucking, and capital intensity of upgrading 900+ locations to next-generation charging and technology.

Name

Pilot Flying

Legal name

Pilot Travel Centers LLC

Website

https://pilotflyingj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Pilot Travel Centers LLC, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, operates North America's largest travel center network of 900+ locations across 44 US states and 5 Canadian provinces. It serves approximately 1.2 million daily guests — professional truck drivers, EV and RV drivers, auto travelers, and commercial fleet operators — with fuel, food, EV charging, parking, and fleet billing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Center and Fuel Retail Services

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Stops & Travel Centers (Fuel + Convenience) (CRANAJAC)

Keywords

• Travel center operations
• Fuel retail services
• Fleet fuel solutions
• Truck stop amenities
• EV charging network

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fuel Sales: Sale of gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels (including B99 biodiesel) to individual consumers and commercial fleets at travel center locations
2. Food and Beverage: Sale of prepared foods, snacks, beverages including proprietary Pilot Coffee brand, and branded restaurant concepts (Pilot Eats, Pilot Eats EXPRESS)
3. EV Charging: Electric vehicle charging services at locations with GM Energy chargers, generating revenue per kWh ($0.56-$0.59/kWh observed)
4. Truck Services: Truck care services including maintenance bays, DOT inspections, Southern Tire Mart tire services, and showers for professional drivers
5. Fleet Solutions: Direct billing, fuel factoring, and wholesale fuel programs for commercial fleet operators with consolidated invoicing and flexible credit terms

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pilot Travel Centers operates North America's largest travel center network of 900+ company-owned and franchised locations under the Pilot, Flying J, and One9 brands, selling gasoline, diesel, B99 biodiesel, and EV charging alongside truck parking, showers, truck maintenance, proprietary food concepts (Pilot Eats, Pilot Coffee), and licensed restaurant brands. The company serves both individual travelers (truck, RV, EV, and auto drivers) through retail locations and commercial fleet operators through dedicated direct-billing, fuel factoring, and wholesale fuel programs across 44 US states and 5 Canadian provinces.

Product overview

Pilot Company operates North America's largest travel center network as a single unified platform with multiple branded locations (Pilot, Flying J, One9) offering fuel, food, amenities, and services. The portfolio includes core travel center services (diesel, gasoline, DEF), proprietary food concepts (Pilot Eats), loyalty programs (Pro Driver Rewards, The Pilot™ App), parking solutions (Prime Parking), EV charging infrastructure (GM Energy and Tesla Megacharger partnerships), truck maintenance (Southern Tire Mart), and fleet billing solutions. The company recently announced a NCR Voyix POS modernization for its 900+ locations and leverages Databricks for generative AI across 750+ locations. The network spans 44 U.S. states and Canadian provinces serving 1.2 million daily guests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pilot Eats: Proprietary food concept offering craveable items such as pizza, wings, and breakfast sandwiches at Pilot travel center locations.
• Pilot Eats EXPRESS
• Prime Parking
• Miles of Good
• Pro Driver Rewards
• Auto & RV Driver Rewards

Products and services

• Pilot Travel Centers Company-owned Pilot-branded travel centers offering gasoline, diesel, B99 biodiesel, DEF, EV charging, truck maintenance, showers, parking, and food service; serves professional truck drivers, RV drivers, EV drivers, and auto travelers across 44 US states and 5 Canadian provinces.
• Flying J Travel Centers Travel center brand within the Pilot Company network of brands delivering comprehensive fuel (gasoline, diesel, EV charging), food and beverage, and amenity services for travelers and commercial fleet operators.
• One9 Travel Centers / One9 Fuel Network Franchise and dealer-operated travel center and fuel network under Pilot Company offering fuel and convenience services through affiliated brands including EZ Trip, Mr. Fuel, Pride, and Stamart.
• The Pilot Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android delivering loyalty rewards enrollment, mobile ordering, fuel price lookup, location finder, shower reservations, parking reservations, and push-for-points functionality to professional drivers and consumer travelers.
• Pro Driver Rewards Loyalty rewards program targeted at professional truck drivers that converts fuel purchases into points redeemable for food, drinks, and merchandise through the Push For Points monthly mechanic.
• Prime Parking Reservable truck parking service that lets professional drivers reserve overnight parking spots ahead of time at Pilot and Flying J locations, using stored payment and truck information for faster check-in.
• Pilot Eats and Pilot Eats EXPRESS Proprietary quick-service food concept offered at Pilot travel centers, serving pizza, chicken tenders, wings, and breakfast sandwiches, with an EXPRESS variant for streamlined service at select locations.
• EV Charging Network Multi-standard electric vehicle charging infrastructure at Pilot travel centers featuring GM Energy CCS 350 kW fast chargers and Tesla Megacharger infrastructure capable of up to 1.2 MW per stall for heavy-duty electric trucks, priced at $0.56-$0.59 per kWh.
• Mobile Ordering Digital ordering platform accessible via The Pilot mobile app and the company website, enabling customers to order ahead for pickup at Pilot travel center food and beverage outlets.
• Truck Care / Southern Tire Mart Truck maintenance and tire services at select Pilot travel center locations including tire sales and service through wholly owned subsidiary Southern Tire Mart, truck care, DOT inspections, and roadside assistance.
• Fleet Solutions / Direct Bill Enterprise fleet billing and credit offering for commercial trucking operators providing Direct Bill accounts, Fuel & Factoring services, wholesale fuel programs, consolidated invoicing, no card fees, flexible credit terms, and full network access.
• Mobile Fueling Diesel mobile fueling service that delivers fuel directly to commercial fleet facilities, complementing at-location fueling with on-site delivery for fleet operators.
• Auto & RV Driver Rewards Loyalty rewards program for auto and recreational vehicle drivers that converts in-store and fuel purchases into points redeemable for food, drinks, and other items at Pilot travel centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serve 1.2 million guests daily across 900+ locations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SuckerPunch (pickle brand)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 April 2026Distribution partnership for SuckerPunch pickle products including single-serve pickle pouches and pickle juice shots, expanding product offerings in convenience retail channel
• NCR VoyixcoreTechnology or Integration · 5 March 2026Five-year exclusive platform agreement for NCR Voyix to deploy point-of-sale and fuel technology across all 900+ Pilot locations in 44 US states and 5 Canadian provinces. AI-enabled transformation modernizing retail and commercial fuel operations serving approximately 1.2 million daily customers on the Voyix Commerce Platform.
• TeslacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Partnership to install Tesla Semi Chargers (Megacharger stations) for heavy-duty electric trucks at select Pilot travel center locations. Construction beginning H1 2026 with first sites expected Summer 2026. Initial locations in California, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas along major corridors (I-5, I-10). Each site hosting 4-8 charging stalls delivering up to 1.2 megawatts per stall using Tesla V4 cabinet technology. Network will initially serve Tesla Semi trucks but may expand to other heavy-duty EVs using MCS standard.
• B99 Biodiesel SuppliersminorOthers · 18 March 2025Pilot became first travel center network to offer B99 biodiesel for fleets, partnering with biodiesel suppliers to provide sustainable fuel options
• General Motors (GM Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborative EV fast-charging network with GM and EVgo reaching over 130 locations in more than 25 states, enabling long-distance EV travel along major corridors including I-75. Goal of up to 2,000 fast charging stalls at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J locations. GM using AI and machine learning to identify optimal charging station locations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Love's Travel Stops: Family-owned travel center network operating more than 650 locations across 42+ states. Directly comparable to Pilot in offering diesel, truck parking, showers, food service, and truck care for professional drivers and travelers, with similar fleet billing and loyalty programs.
• TA (TravelCenters of America): Travel center operator with ~300 locations in the U.S., now owned by BP. Competes head-to-head with Pilot on diesel, truck parking, full-service restaurants, and truck maintenance, serving the same professional driver and fleet customer base.
• Buc-ee's: Texas-based mega travel center chain expanding aggressively across the Sun Belt. Competes with Pilot on large-format fuel + convenience retail, clean restrooms, and proprietary food offerings, primarily targeting passenger car and RV travelers rather than long-haul truckers.
• Sapp Bros: Midwest-based travel center chain offering diesel, truck services, and convenience retail. Smaller scale than Pilot but operates in overlapping geographies and serves the same professional driver and fleet customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Wawa: East Coast convenience-store chain with company-operated fuel stations. Comparable in fuel + fresh-food retail model but does not serve long-haul trucking or operate truck parking; partial overlap with Pilot's consumer-facing fuel and food business.
• QuikTrip: Large private convenience and fuel retailer operating across the Midwest, South, and East. Comparable fuel + food retail model and similar scale (~900+ locations), but does not target professional truck drivers or operate truck-specific amenities.
• Casey's General Stores: Public convenience-store chain with ~2,900 locations and a growing fuel business. Comparable convenience + fuel offering and similar community-store positioning, but does not serve long-haul trucking or operate large-format travel centers.
• Murphy USA: Public fuel + convenience retailer with ~1,750 locations primarily at Walmart-anchored sites. Comparable fuel retail and loyalty model but focused on low-cost consumer fuel rather than travel centers or commercial trucking.

Others

• ChargePoint: EV charging network operator that partners with Pilot to deploy charging stalls at travel center locations. Adjacent enabler in Pilot's EV build-out rather than a direct competitor; comparable in being part of the freight-corridor EV ecosystem.
• EVgo: Public EV fast-charging network partner in Pilot's collaborative charging build-out with GM Energy. Not a direct competitor to Pilot's travel center business but a co-deployer at Pilot locations and a relevant peer for EV charging infrastructure economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pilottravel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PilotTravelCenters
• Facebookfacebook.com/pilottravelcenters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pilot-flying-j
• Instagraminstagram.com/pilotflyingj
• TikToktiktok.com/@pilotflyingj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pilot Flying