(FORT SMITH, Ark., January 18, 2007) — Anthony (Tony) Spero, an award-winning driver for ABF Freight System, Inc.^®, has been selected by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) as one of 16 America’s Road Team Captains.

With a combined 366 years of experience and nearly 30.5 million safe-driving miles among them, the 16-member team was selected from a group of 35 finalists. The group competed this week before a panel of judges from the trucking industry and trucking media. The competition included a review of their knowledge of trucking industry safety issues, a test of communication skills and interview abilities and a review of their community service.

Selection as an ATA America’s Road Team Captain is one of the highest honors a professional truck driver can achieve. At least one ABF^® driver has represented the industry on every America’s Road Team since 1995. The new team will serve from January 2007 through December 2008.

Spero, a city driver at the ABF Stratford, Conn., service center, also is the reigning ATA national champion flatbed driver. He won the flatbed class championship during the 69th National Truck Driving Championships, August 15-19, 2006. A member of the ABF Road Team in 2001, 2003 and 2006, Spero has 16 years of accident-free driving. He also won Connecticut state competitions in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

“Tony is a testament to the dedication and commitment of all ABF employees to safely and securely handle our customers’ freight,” says Murray Babb, ABF vice president of terminal operations. “He is an outstanding example of the trucking professionals who are dedicated to making our highways safer for all drivers. ABF proudly supports him in his new role as ambassador for the trucking industry.”

After several weeks of team driving with the current Road Team, the newly selected America’s Road Team Captains will embark on individual speaking tours on behalf of the ATA. The captains become advocates for the transportation industry, promoting the trucking industry’s commitment to highway safety. Road Team Captains are available to testify as experts on trucking and safety issues before Congressional hearings and at the state government level.

“The captains of America’s Road Team represent the very best of our professional drivers and serve as goodwill ambassadors in advancing the image of trucking,” said Bill Graves, ATA President and CEO. “As exemplary drivers and skilled communicators, we’re proud to have these drivers deliver trucking’s important messages of professionalism, safety and essentiality on behalf of the entire industry to the general public.”

Established 1923, ABF is recognized as best-in-class for safety, security, technology and freight-handling. InformationWeek, CIO, InfoWorld, and BtoB magazines have cited ABF’s strategic use of information technology as exemplary. ABF is the only five-time winner of the American Trucking Associations President’s Trophy for Safety. ABF is the only carrier to earn both the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award and the Excellence in Security Award in the same year, which ABF accomplished twice.

ABF provides guaranteed service for expedited or time-definite shipments via its TimeKeeper^® service. Regional shipments are handled via the carrier’s RPM Network, providing next-day and second-day service. The ABF system stretches throughout North America, with local service centers serving all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Puerto Rico. Globally, the carrier serves 250 ports in more than 130 countries.

ABF is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS).

Contact: Mr. Danny Loe, director of marketing & public relations
Telephone: (479) 785-8803