It’s official: 2010 breaks all records

After continuing to break monthly and quarterly records all year long, we have been anticipating for months that 2010 would be the largest year in Pilot’s history. I’m happy to officially announce that we crushed our previous records, with $423.5 million in revenue for 2010. This marks an incredible 31 percent increase over 2009’s numbers.

The thanks for our success, as always, goes to the incredible Pilot team, who works tirelessly to serve our customers above and beyond their expectations.

This is a huge milestone for our company. We have emerged from the recession stronger than before, with local accounts, international shipping, national accounts, home delivery, automotive and logistics all growing very well. And we have exciting things on the horizon for 2011, including the continued expansion of our services, and the opening of new stations domestically and in Europe. Stay tuned to the blog for more details on these exciting developments.

For more details on our 2010 numbers, you can read the full press release below.

Looking back, and planning ahead

As we reflect on 2010, and look ahead to 2011, it is useful to think about all of the things that made last year such a success, and all of the things we will do in 2011 to improve our business. I recently had the opportunity to share some of these thoughts in a column for SupplyChainBrain. I talked a little bit about how 2010 will be remembered – as a year in which well-positioned transportation companies gained real momentum by offering greater value to their customers. I also offered some insight into what I believe are the keys to success for transportation companies this year.

My insights may not have been earth-shattering. In fact, they are all things that anyone could see if they were to go out and talk to customers, and then look around at their competition. From knowing that a customer never forgets the service we provide (for better or worse), to earning trust by putting the customer’s interest ahead of short term profits, to fostering customer communication at a deeper level than just shipment data, to working to customize our transportation solutions, it all comes down to a focus on real value that is felt by our customers.

Head over to SupplyChainBrain’s site to read the full column, “Expect Measured Growth in Transportation and Logistics in 2011 – and Customers to Demand More Value.”

When you’re done, I’d love to hear your thoughts – do you agree with my assessment of 2010? Any other thoughts on how transportation companies can best position themselves to succeed? Feel free to leave a comment and chime in.