A Nashville, Tenn.-based trucking company, the largest carrier yet to file a fraud lawsuit against Pilot Flying J, is seeking more than $73 million in punitive damages for being shortchanged $2.5 million in fuel rebates since 2005.
Western Express Inc., which is ranked No. 59 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers, also claimed in its lawsuit that the resulting cash flow shortage from the alleged fraud caused the carrier to incur more than $73 million in fees and expenses. It filed the lawsuit Aug. 29 in a Louisiana state court.
Western said it purchased more than $1 billion of fuel from Pilot in Louisiana and across the United States from 2005 to 2013. During that period, the company purchased 90% of its fuel from Pilot with an agreed rebate ranging from 5 cents to 7 cents a gallon, the lawsuit said.
Western’s lawsuit was the latest in a string of more than 20 lawsuits that have been filed against Pilot in state and federal courts nationwide since the company’s Knoxville, Tenn., headquarters was raided by the FBI in April.
A Pilot spokeswoman did not comment on the merits of Western’s lawsuit but said the company “will review and defend appropriately.”
