Fort Smith, Arkansas, April 6, 1998 -- ABF Freight System, Inc. announces the availability of customer-specific pricing quotations over the Internet. Through this exclusive feature, most Internet rate inquiries will be interactive, with instantaneous response, including detailed pricing information unique to a particular customer. Some more complicated inquiries, including offshore lanes, will receive a response by e-mail, facsimile or telephone, as requested by the user. During expanded business hours, virtually all inquiries will receive a reply within 20 minutes. Confidential information is protected by encryption technology and by passwords, which can be requested through the Internet site.

ABF also has released the ABF ToolKit, an innovative personal computer navigational aid for its customers. The ABF ToolKit is a desktop toolbar that provides ready, one-button access to an expanding variety of customer productivity tools at ABF's full-featured Internet site: http://www.abfs.com/. The versatile ToolKit, available at no charge on the web site, can be customized to incorporate other PC applications or Internet sites chosen by the user.

Bob Davidson, Vice-President of Marketing & Pricing for ABF, noted, "With these revolutionary features, ABF's Internet capabilities leap from interesting to essential for the shipping professional. These tools, both unique in the transportation industry, remove the mystery and wasted time from Internet use in the daily course of business. Our vision is to provide instant response to any inquiry or request from our customers. These exciting and significant breakthroughs bring us much closer to that goal."

"ABF's extensive and unparalleled Internet capabilities offer an important avenue to improve communication with our customers and to reduce the administrative expenses of motor freight transportation. These two new advances were developed at the request of our customers. We are committed to continual advancement in these Internet-based services, based upon such feedback."

Other ABF Internet-based services, currently available around the clock, include:

• Shipment tracing through the ABF network, by carrier pro number, shipper bill of lading number, purchase order number or other customer reference number. Specific shipment location and other information are continually updated.
• Comprehensive shipment status reports (e.g., all inbound shipments) customized to the user's specific needs. Report parameters are saved, and the customer may retrieve subsequent reports with a single mouse click.
• Routing, service and postal code information throughout North America, including Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, highlighting ABF's broad direct coverage network. Location, personnel, and contact information are provided for each of ABF's 313 terminal service facilities. Direct e-mail contact is provided for all sales, management and administrative personnel.
• On-line pickup requests transmitted directly to the origin serving station.
• On-line bill of lading preparation, printing, and transmission options.
• Generic rate quotations and transit times for shipments moving between points in the contiguous United States and between the United States and Canada. Serving terminal information is also provided for the origin and destination service facilities.
• An informative Resource Library including rate calculation software, special service information, ABF's searchable service guide and the simplified Guide to Pricing Application, all of which may be retrieved directly from the Internet.
• Descriptive explanations of ABF's varied service offerings, an archive of press releases and additional company and industry information.

ABF, with 1997 revenues over $1.1 billion, is the largest and most profitable subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (NASDAQ/NMS - ABFS). ABF is one of the nation's largest LTL motor carriers with service to all fifty states, plus Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and beyond.

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