Pilot will require customers to wear masks starting Tuesday

Customers at Pilot and Flying J travel centers will be required to wear masks or face coverings starting Tuesday, July 28.

“To better protect team members, guests and professional drivers amid the rise of COVID-19 cases across the country, Pilot Co. will begin requiring guests to wear a face covering at all of our owned and operated locations as of July 28,” the company said in a statement issued Monday, July 27. “This policy is in accordance with several states and counties already requiring face coverings and will not apply to children or to persons with a medical condition that prevent wearing a face covering.”

Truckers who do not have a face covering may purchase one from the truck stop, the release stated.

More than 30 states already have statewide mask mandates in place, as does the District of Columbia. Several major national retailers and restaurants, including Walmart and McDonald’s, have also announced policies requiring patrons to cover their faces when on the premises.

Pilot is the nation’s largest operator of travel centers, with more than 950 locations and is the largest seller of over-the-road diesel.

Love’s Travel Stops announced a similar policy last week. Love’s will begin requiring masks at all of its locations, including its Speedco and Love’s Truck Center stores, on Wednesday, July 29.

In addition to masks, Pilot says all of its locations are adhering to new cleaning and sanitizing procedures as well as additional safety measures. Those include providing hand sanitizer stations for public use, installing protective shields at all points of sale, and requiring team members to wear face coverings.

Each location also displays in-store signs to remind guests the importance of following social distancing, healthy hygiene and area mandates.

Drivers lounges remain closed as do some indoor dining room seating areas, depending on local ordinances, according to the news release. Food remains available through carry-out and grab-and-go service.

Pilot’s release says that it’s “vital that our travel centers remain open and operational to provide the fuel, food and amenities drivers need to do their jobs.”

“We join the travel center industry in this effort to ask everyone to do their part in protecting against the spread of COVID-19 in order to help ensure that our team members, professional drivers and other essential workers stay safe and are able to keep providing the goods and services that North America depends on,” the news release stated.