Pilot Company and United Through Reading Partner to Bring Services to Veterans in the Transportation Industry

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Driver Appreciation and National Literacy Month, Pilot Company is partnering with United Through Reading, a national non-profit serving military families, to help military veterans in the transportation industry stay connected with their families through reading.

As the exclusive sponsor of United Through Reading's Transportation Industry Veterans Outreach program, Pilot Company is providing assistance to extend United Through Reading's app-based program to veteran professional drivers. Using the United Through Reading app, veterans verified through ID.me can select a free book from their extensive collection, including eBooks, and record themselves reading a story to their family. United Through Reading will send the family a hard copy of the book or eBook along with the recording, enabling veteran drivers to read with their children no matter the distance or time zone.

"What better way is there to stay connected to your loved ones than sharing a story," said James Haslam II, Veteran and Pilot Company Founder, Chairman Emeritus. "United Through Reading gives professional drivers who are veterans a platform to read and share a book with their family back home, helping relieve some of the stress of being on the road and providing a way to experience special moments together regardless of the distance."

United Through Reading was founded on the principle that family separation is one of the most difficult parts of being in the military, and there are more than one million military veterans that have taken their skills and continued their service behind the wheel as professional truck drivers. They often face similar challenges of separation while on the road as professional drivers, and Pilot Company and United Through Reading are hoping to help bridge that gap by giving them the ability to share a book with their children.

"We are so honored to serve veteran truckers as they continue to serve our country every day," said Dr. Sally Ann Zoll, CEO of United Through Reading. "Thanks to Pilot Company, we are able to connect with these heroes to ensure that their family can maintain their reading routines even when they are on the road."

Professional drivers continue to sacrifice for America and both Pilot Company and United Through Reading are honored to provide another service to help drivers along their journey.

To learn more about United Through Reading and sign up as a veteran professional driver for the United Through Reading app program, visit www.unitedthroughreading.org. To learn more about Pilot Company and its commitment to giving back, visit pilotcompany.com/about.

Pilot Travel Centers LLC ("Pilot Company") keeps North America's drivers moving as one of the leading suppliers of fuel and the largest operator of travel centers. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Company has grown its network to more than 800 retail and fueling locations and supplies more than 14 billion gallons of fuel per year to the market. Pilot Company has the fourth largest tanker fleet with more than 1,600 trucks that supply DEF, bio and renewable fuels, and provides hauling and disposal services to the oil field sector. Pilot Company serves 1.3 million guests per day and provides over 70,000 fleet customers with solutions for fuel, credit, factoring, services and rewards. Its Pilot and Flying J travel center network includes over 750 locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces with more than 790 restaurants, 75,000 truck parking spaces, 5,300 deluxe showers, 6,200 diesel lanes and offers truck maintenance and tire service with Southern Tire Mart at Pilot Flying J. The One9 Fuel Network connects a variety of fueling locations to provide smaller fleets and independent professional drivers with everyday value, convenience, credit and perks. More information on locations and rewards are available in the myRewards PlusTM app.

Pilot Company is currently ranked No. 7 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies. For additional information about Pilot Company, its 30,000 team members and commitment to giving back, visit www.pilotcompany.com.

United Through Reading keeps military families reading ready, no matter the distance between them. Families stay connected through storytime video recordings and books sent to military families. These stories ease the stress of time apart due to military duty, maintain positive emotional connections, and cultivate a love of reading and early childhood literacy. Service members and veterans can record a story for their family at more than 200 United Through Reading recording locations worldwide, as well as on their mobile device with the free and secure reading app. Since 1989, 2.7 million military members and their families have benefited from the program. Follow United Through Reading on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Pilot Company