ABF Press Release - ABFŽ celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

ABF® Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

(FORT SMITH, Arkansas, August 15, 2002) — ABF Freight System Inc.^® is celebrating the seventh annual National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Aug. 18–24, 2002, by kicking off its annual “Appreciate Your Trucker… ABF Does” campaign. The campaign begins on the heels of the National Truck Driving Championships being held in Milwaukee, WI, a safe-driving event sponsored by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Twenty ABF^® drivers earned the right to compete in this year’s championships, a record number for the carrier.

ABF service centers throughout North America will have special activities during Appreciation Week. Through random drawings, employees will be eligible to win items such as a personal computer system, camcorders or DVD players. In addition, each ABF employee will receive a personal letter of appreciation from the company.

This campaign not only recognizes the truck drivers of ABF, but also acknowledges the contribution of each employee within the company. “Every person, every task, every job is important,” said David E. Stubblefield, President and CEO of ABF. “ABF leads the industry, and our people lead the way.”

ABF is one of North America’s largest and most experienced motor carriers and its performance has been consistently recognized as best-in-class. Over the past two decades, ABF has received the ATA’s prestigious President’s Trophy in virtually every year that it has been eligible. In each of the last 30 years, ABF’s safety ranking has been first, second or third within its trucking category. In 2001, the ATA selected ABF as the top motor carrier both in claims/loss prevention and in security, the first such dual award of its kind.

The company’s Web site, www.abf.com, is ranked among the best 50 of all sites by CIO magazine. ABF Freight System Inc. offers direct service to all 50 states, nine Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico. In addition to its broad service to Mexico, the carrier offers service to 250 ports in more than 130 countries worldwide. ABF provides guaranteed expedited service for time-critical and time-definite shipments via its TimeKeeper® service. The carrier has been in continuous service since 1923 and is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (NASDAQ/NMS — “ABFS”).

Contact: Mr. Chris Baltz, Director of Marketing & Public Relations-ABF Freight System, Inc.—Telephone: (479) 785-8803