(Fort Smith, Arkansas, November 17, 2005) — ABF Freight System, Inc.^®, the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS), has announced the appointment of Murray Babb, Chris Burton, Jim Ingram and Jim Keenan to the position of vice president.  All of these promotions are effective on February 1, 2006.

Murray Babb has been named Vice President of Terminal Operations for ABF.  In his new position, Mr. Babb will be responsible for all aspects of the dock, street and yard operations at ABF’s 287 customer service centers and distribution centers throughout North America. 

Mr. Babb began his career with ABF in 1986 working as an operations supervisor in Akron, OH.  Mr. Babb’s field experience has included jobs in both operations and sales.  After serving as a branch manager in ABF’s Cincinnati, OH and South Chicago, IL facilities, Mr. Babb was promoted to Regional Vice President of Operations in 2003 based in  Indianapolis, IN.  Mr. Babb holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kent State University. 

Chris Burton has been named Vice President of Economic Analysis for ABF.  In addition to having responsibility for economic analysis, he will oversee ABF’s training, quality awareness and e-systems development.

Mr. Burton has worked throughout Arkansas Best Corporation for 26 years, beginning his career at Data-Tronics, Arkansas Best’s information technology subsidiary.  He spent 11 years with Data-Tronics, including 8 years managing personal computer support, mainframe computer hardware and software acquisition, and recruitment.  His 15 years in economic analysis include the last 10 as Director of Economic Analysis, where he administers ABF’s costing model, forecasting and performance measurement systems.  Mr. Burton received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Purdue University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of  Arkansas.

Jim Ingram has been named Vice President of Market Development for ABF.  In his new position, Mr. Ingram will be responsible for spot pricing and customer service in connection with the company’s specialized services, including TimeKeeper^®, TurnKey^®, U-Pack Moving^® and FreightValue^®.  He will also lead new service development for ABF. 

Mr. Ingram began his career with ABF in 1990 as an analyst in the company’s pricing department.  After holding various positions within pricing, he was named ABF’s Director of Quotation Services in 2000.  Mr. Ingram holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas.

Jim Keenan, a 29-year veteran of the transportation industry, has been named Vice President of Administration.  He will have responsibility for ABF’s personnel department, revenue accounting, cargo loss and damage claims prevention, risk management and administrative services including field office functions.

Mr. Keenan has been with ABF for 24 years, coming to the company as a result of ABF’s purchase of East Texas Motor Freight in 1982.  After working throughout ABF’s pricing area, Mr. Keenan was named Regional Vice President of Sales in Albuquerque, NM in 1988, later moving to Salt Lake City, UT in the same capacity.   From 1995 to 1998, he served as Vice President, Sales & Marketing for Arkansas Best’s intermodal subsidiary, Clipper Exxpress in Chicago, IL.  In 1999, he returned to ABF as Regional Vice President of Sales in Dallas, TX.

Established in 1923, ABF is one of North America’s oldest and most reputable motor carriers. It continues to be recognized as a benchmark for safety, security, technology and freight-handling standards. ABF's emphasis on quality and value was cited by Logistics Management magazine, which awarded the carrier a 2004 Quest for Quality Award. ABF also was recognized by CIO magazine for innovative excellence in information technology, earning the 2005 CIO Enterprise Value Award for the transportation industry and a spot on the CIO Top 100 Companies list in both 2004 and 2005.

ABF operates an extensive network of customer service centers and distribution facilities strategically located throughout North America. Through this network, ABF provides comprehensive shipping services to all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Puerto Rico. Globally, the carrier serves 250 ports in more than 130 countries. ABF is certified as an Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) carrier by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) carrier to and from Canada. Via its TimeKeeper^® service, ABF provides guaranteed service for expedited or time-definite shipments.

Contact:  Mr. David E. Loeffler, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
              Telephone: (479) 785-6157        

              Mr. David Humphrey, Director of Investor Relations
              Telephone (479) 785-6200