Pilot Flying J Announces $10,000 Grand Prize Winner of Annual Road Warrior Contest

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Aug 25, 2020, 14:34 ET

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pilot Flying J today announced the winners of its seventh annual Road Warrior contest as part of the company's kick off to Driver Appreciation month. After reviewing more than 3,000 entries, Pilot Flying J selected Eric Britton of Clarksville, Tenn. as the $10,000 grand prize Road Warrior winner. Zdenko Zalac of Clinton, Ohio, and Mona Beedle of Auburndale, Fla., have been named the second and third place Road Warrior winners, respectively.

Eric Britton, a veteran and professional truck driver for First Fleet, is awarded the $10,000 grand prize in Pilot Flying J's annual Road Warrior program at a surprise presentation on August 21, 2020.

"Our annual Road Warrior contest is just one way we celebrate and recognize how much professional drivers mean to the world," said Shameek Konar, chief strategy officer for Pilot Flying J. "Especially during these challenging times, professional drivers are delivering the goods we depend on while going above and beyond to help people and communities along the way. Congratulations to Eric, our finalists and all of the drivers who were nominated – you are changing the world one mile at a time and we truly appreciate your hard work to keep North America moving."

To honor Britton as the grand prize winner, Pilot Flying J partnered with his employer, First Fleet, and his family to surprise him with the news of his win in a congratulatory video. To view the video and Britton's reaction to the surprise presentation, click here.

Nominated by his wife, Britton was recognized for his service to the country as a veteran and a professional driver. Britton served for 15 years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and then a driver, delivering supplies to military units. After retiring from the army, Britton became a professional driver for First Fleet and was recently awarded for 19 years and two million miles of safe driving.

"To be named the 2020 Road Warrior means so much and I'm very thankful," said Britton. "My advice to other drivers is to slow down, take your time, be aware of what's around you and always display professionalism. It's truly an honor to represent my company and be recognized in this way. Thank you for believing in me."

In addition to the $10,000 grand prize, Pilot Flying J awarded $5,000 to second place winner, Zalac, an owner-operator and driver for over 20 years with over three million accident free miles, and $2,500 to third place winner, Beedle, a driver of over 30 years for RayLee Transport who's a strong advocate for women drivers across the country. Nominators of the grand, second and third place winners also received a $500 prize.

New this year, Pilot Flying J randomly selected 400 professional drivers from Road Warrior contest entries and rewarded them each with 5,000 myRewards™ loyalty points, a $50 in-store value, for their dedication throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

To read more about the Road Warrior winners and learn about the contest, visit pilotflyingj.com/road-warrior-2020. To join the Road Warrior conversation, follow @pilotflyingj and #RoadWarrior.

About Pilot Flying J

Pilot Flying J, the largest operator of travel centers in North America, is committed to connecting people and places with comfort, care and a smile at every stop. Pilot Flying J, along with the One9 Fuel Network and other brands, is part of Pilot Company. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Company supplies more than 11 billion gallons of fuel per year and is currently ranked No. 10 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies. The Pilot Flying J travel center network offers a variety of amenities and products to make road travel easier with locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces, more than 630 restaurants, 73,000 truck parking spaces, 5,200 deluxe showers, 6,200 diesel lanes and 35 Truck Care service centers. Visit www.pilotflyingj.com for more information.

SOURCE Pilot Flying J