14 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2014
JOURNAL NEWS
A
U.S. District Court in Alabama
last month dismissed portions
of a lawsuit brought against Pilot
Flying J by Mobile, Ala.-based Wright
Transportation that alleges the truck
stop chain and fuel provider violated
the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt
Organizations Act in its alleged
scheme to defraud trucking compa-
nies out of owed fuel rebates.
Federal Judge William H. Steele
said Wright's claims and evidence
failed to satisfy necessary provisions
of the RICO Act. Steele also dismissed
counts of unjust enrichment against
Pilot, but denied the dismissal of
unjust enrichment counts against
Pilot executives mentioned in the suit,
which include Chief Executive Officer
Jimmy Haslam.
The court also upheld the breach
of contract portion of the suit and
dismissed some of the counts "with
leave to amend," meaning Wright
can alter some of its claims and refile
the suit.
Earlier in January, Pilot reached a
settlement with Western Express in a
lawsuit in which the carrier said the
truck stop chain's alleged fuel rebate
withholding scheme cost it $75 mil-
lion in expenses and debt. The details
of the settlement are confidential, per
the terms of the deal.
Pilot reached an $85 million settle-
ment in a class-action lawsuit with
5,500 other trucking companies, but
fleets that chose to opt out – Western
and Wright among them – were
allowed to pursue their own legal
action. Due to the class-action settle-
ment, Wright could not bring its suit
as a class-action filing.
– James Jaillet
Text INFO to 205-289-3554 or visit www.ccjdigital.com/info
Judge dismisses
lawsuit's racketeering
claims against Pilot,
upholds other portions
