Flying J, Pilot formally announce preliminary merger agreement

I only fuel at Pilot when I get my weekly advance on my Comdata (to avoid the fee), or if it's the only thing around. Rarely park there -- lots are way too crowded. Prefer the J parking lots and showers and fuel there quite often (love getting those coupons in the mail lol). I normally eat in the truck, but eat at the J most often. Will never eat at TA (both myself and my co- driver got food poisoning at TA's -- 2 different locations about 2 weeks apart -- not fun at all). Will eat at the Petro in Amarillo -- not others. There are some positives and negatives to both the Pilots and the J's, hopefully, they will get it right when they combine the two. Can't imagine IdleAire in Pilots -- not enough room -- what would that make the average parking lot -- about 10-12 spaces? Can't stand IdleAire -- although I understand the need to use it if you don't have an APU, but you wouldn't catch me putting that thing in my window if Brad Pitt came out of it. Whatever the Flying-P (bottles) :smt046 does, we'll adjust -- like we usually do.

 

Sure hope that with the merge, the hooks fueling system will change. Hate having to swipe my non-comdata card twice to get fuel for both the truck and reefer.

 

More likely Pilot will stop taking comdata and I'll have no reason to consider stopping at one anymore. The lot is probably jammed up onto the street anyway, not like it matters.

 

I guess many of you are not really curious or worried about the whole picture.

Consider the fact that now there is going to be basically one large truck stop company.

 

The two largest truck stop companies combined into one. Pilot has roughly 305 and Flying J about 250.
It will be a lot like the TA and Petro merger a couple years ago as was earlier mentioned in the thread.
Hopefully they will take the best of each company and make them all better for the drivers.

 

Yes we see it Roadmedic. Maybe people will start going back to the independents? I know.,I'm dreaming. lol

 

That's what I was going to mention. There's plenty of independent truck stops just a little off the beaten path. I'd rather go to them. At least they have fancy things like 5th wheel grease. Pilot and TA don't bother to stock that.

 

The TA and Petro merger is nothing compared to the buyouts and mergers that Pilot has done in the last year or so.

 

Refreshing to hear a young driver with your attitude.
Sounds like you were homeschooled instead of school trained.
I mean that in the best possible way. It's my theory that the drivers that train with the big companies begin their career fueling at the big chainstops and don't realize there is anything else out there.
I avoid the brand name stops and prefer to spend my money at the mom & pops.
Even as an o/o I would spend a little more on fuel to support the places with decent restaurants.
Another thing. Anybody notice the trend of calling something a truckstop that has no shop? Not even tire repair.(Talking about Pilot, Loves and most Js)
But we are outnumbered brother and the mega brands will prevail.

 

Pilots have a corrosive effect on truck stops...so many of the specialty services go away when pilots take over....
Pilot truck stops follow a very basic generic template....great for them...poor for true over the road drivers that want more than fuel and a hot dog...at the end of a long hard shift....