(FORT SMITH, Ark., October 16, 2009) — ABF Freight System, Inc.^®, announces the appointment of Kirk R. May to vice president of national sales effective December 1, 2009. Currently, Mr. May serves as regional vice president of sales based in Salt Lake City.

Mr. May joined ABF^® as a sales representative in Kansas City, Mo., in 1990. He was promoted to district sales manager in 1991 and was promoted to his current position of regional vice president of sales in 2001.

“Kirk brings a tremendous amount of sales leadership experience to his new position. His innate problem-solving ability and astute analytical skills are also highly valued,” said ABF Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Roy Slagle. “I am confident that ABF’s long history of outstanding customer service will continue under his leadership.”

Mr. May assumes the position being vacated by Donald N. Reynolds, who is retiring from the company on November 30, 2009, after 39 years of service.

Established in 1923, ABF is 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, the only five-time winner of the Excellence in Security Award, and the only four-time winner of the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award. ABF also 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 shipping. 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).

Source: ABF Freight System, Inc.

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

Websites: abf.com
              TimeKeeper.com 
              FreightValue.com 
              upack.com