Haslam began his career at Pilot Corporation in 1976. In 1980, he was named vice president of sales, development, and operations. At that time, Pilot operated 100 convenience stores with annual fuel sales of about 125 million gallons.
The pilot opened its first travel center in 1981, and by 1996 the same year Jimmy Haslam was named president and chief executive officer – the company operated 96 travel centers and 50 convenience stores and its total gallon sales had reached 1.2 billion. Pilot Corporation attained yet another milestone in 2001 when it joined with Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC to form Pilot Travel Centers LLC.
In 2008, Pilot Corporation announced that CVC Capital Partners had acquired 49.8% interest in Pilot Travel Centers LLC, facilitating the sale by Marathon Petroleum Company (formerly Marathon Ashland Petroleum) of its interest in Pilot Travel Centers. Pilot Corporation retained 50% ownership of Pilot Travel Centers LLC.
The Haslam family acquired all of CVC Capital Partners’ shares in the company in 2015. Pilot’s convenience store operations continue to be fully owned by Pilot Corporation. In 2010, Pilot Travel Centers LLC joined with Flying J Inc. In 2012, Pilot Flying J acquired Western Petroleum and the majority owner of Maxum Petroleum and in 2012 formed Maxum Enterprises LLC, d/b/a Pilot Logistics Services.
Pilot Logistics Services merged with Thomas Petroleum in 2014 to form Pilot Thomas Logistics. Pilot Flying J subsidiary Pilot Thomas Logistics is one of the fastest-growing energy logistics companies in North America.
Pilot Flying J is one of the largest top 10 privately held companies in the United States and employs more than 24,000 employees. Its network provides customers with access to more than 70,000 parking spaces for trucks, 4,800 showers and 4,300 diesel lanes featuring DEF at the pump.
In April 2013, the FBI executed a search warrant and affidavit detailing a five-year fraud scheme by the Pilot Flying J chain. The Pilot Flying J paid restitution to customers and agreed to pay a $92 million penalty pursuant to a Criminal Enforcement Agreement.
