The National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO) announced that it will honor James A. "Jim" Haslam II with its Hall of Fame award at The NATSO Show in February. Haslam is the founder of Pilot Corp. and chairman emeritus of Pilot Flying J.

Jim Haslam began his career in the fueling industry in 1958 with one gas station. Within seven years, he was overseeing 12 locations. In 1981, President Reagan deregulated the trucking industry and Pilot opened its first travel plaza. Today, Pilot Flying J operates more than 650 locations nationwide and generated about $30 billion in sales in 2011.

"Mr. Haslam's dedication to his community through his charitable contributions is awe-inspiring," said Lisa Mullings, NATSO's president and CEO.

Hall of Fame inductees Roger Cole, president of Highway Service Ventures and NATSO's 2013 Chairman, and Jim Goetz, vice president of Goetz Companies and a past NATSO chairman, also offered congratulations.

"Mr. Haslam clearly had a vision of what similarities there were in the convenience store business and the truck stop business and how he could make the transition from the convenience store sphere to the truck stop world, and did it phenomenally well," said Cole. "They moved into a business model that focused on speed, economy and efficiency."

"He's built the largest brand in our industry, he's been very philanthropic, and he's been a successful husband and father,” added Goetz. “That is someone we can all look up to and emulate."

Haslam's son, James A. "Jimmy" Haslam, will present the award on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at The NATSO Show in Savannah, Ga., at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.

As previously reported by CSNews Online, a major focus of this year's show will be fostering the next generation of truck stop and travel plaza industry leaders. A schedule and full lineup of speakers and exhibitors is available on The NATSO Show website.