Launched 1923 as OK Transfer ABF® has always made its headquarters in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where it has grown from a small local carrier in 1923 into one of the oldest and most experienced motor carriers in North America today. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, ABF operated in and around Fort Smith as OK Transfer. In 1935, the year Congress gave the Interstate Commerce Commission regulatory authority over the trucking industry, ABF acquired Arkansas Motor Freight, assumed its name, and then acquired Motor Express. The acquisitions boosted ABF into interstate carrier status.

Grows as Arkansas-Best Freight For the remainder of the 1930s and throughout the 1940s, ABF operated as a regional carrier with routes to and from Fayetteville, Little Rock, and Texarkana, Arkansas, Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, and Shreveport, Louisiana. After Fort Smith attorney and businessman Robert A. Young, Jr., purchased it in 1951, the company grew even faster. Key acquisitions during the 1950s included Robertson Truck Lines, Smock Transportation, Arkansas Express, Memphis-Arkansas Express, and Best Motor Freight. By end of the decade, the carrier was operating in 11 states as Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc., the name it operated under until becoming ABF Freight System, Inc.®, in 1980. The 1960s brought more growth and system expansion as ABF acquired Healzer Cartage Company, Fine Truck Lines, Brad Shearer Truck Service, Delta Motor Line, CEI&I Express, Fast Freight, and Krema Truck Lines. In 1966, ABF spawned Arkansas Best Corporation, a holding company that would operate with ABF Freight System as its largest subsidiary.

 

Reputation and Service Expands Nationally  ABF became a nationwide carrier in the 1970s, acquiring all or significant portions of Youngblood Truck Lines, H.A. Day Truck Line, Associated Transport, Western Gillette, Great Lakes Express Company, Akers Motor Lines, and Navajo Freight Lines. ABF now reached into Canada and ranked ninth among the largest interstate motor carriers in America and started building an enduring reputation for quality, value, and personal service. In fact, since 1971, ABF has earned recognition from the American Trucking Associations' Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council more than 30 times. On December 20, 1972, Arkansas Best Corporation became a listed stock on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol ABZ. Arkansas Best was one of only two Arkansas-based companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Primary subsidiaries included ABF, Riverside Furniture Corporation, Data-Tronics Corporation, Arkansas Bandag Corporation (renamed Treadco Inc.), and National Bank of Commerce of Dallas. Strategic growth continued in the 1980s, a decade that began with the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, which deregulated the trucking industry. Key acquisitions included East Texas Motor Freight, expanding to 160 the number of service centers in ABF’s system. Then in May 1988, Arkansas Best Corporation endured a hostile takeover attempt led by a corporate raider. The unwelcome takeover was thwarted when Kelso & Company made a leveraged buyout of Arkansas Best, taking the company private. All shares owned by Kelso were repurchased in May 1992 as Arkansas Best Corporation's initial public offering once again made it a publicly traded company, this time on the Nasdaq stock exchange trading under the symbol ABFS.

 

Global Reach Accomplished Through Partnerships   ABF became a major player in the international arena during the 1990s, greatly expanding its Canadian presence and forming alliances with Mexico’s largest motor carriers. In June 1992, ABF also formed a strategic partnership with Votainer USA, a non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) whose consolidation services expanded ABF’s services into 45 countries throughout the world. In September 1995, Arkansas Best Corporation purchased Worldway Corporation and merged its two LTL subsidiaries, Carolina Freight and Red Arrow, into ABF’s operation. Later that year, ABF launched eCenter® online tools for shipment tracking, customer-specific rate quotations, detailed summary reports, dynamic routing of in-transit shipments, a wireless tracking solution, XML connectivity, and other innovations. ABF also became the first LTL motor carrier to place its rates and service information on the Internet. In 1997, the carrier launched ABF U-Pack Moving®, an enterprising household moving service for do-it-yourself consumers. The self-load moving service of U-Pack® combines the economy of rental truck moving with the convenience of full-service moving. It has become an extremely popular choice for do-it-yourself movers, as well as corporate, institutional, and military relocation specialists.

 

Acknowledged Leader in Less-Than-Truckload Transportation During the new millennium, ABF has solidified its reputation as a benchmark not only for safety, security, and freight-handling standards but also for technological innovation. In 2000, ABF added the patented Shipment Planner® to its expanding suite of online tools, allowing customers to manage and track shipments through a calendar interface. It added Dynamic Rerouting, letting customers reroute shipments while in-transit. Real-time shipment status tracking was developed for handheld devices. And CIO magazine recognized ABF for operating the industry’s best website.  Then in 2001, abf.com was named both a NetMarketing 200 Award winner and a Web Business 50 Award winner by CIO magazine. CIO’s award recognized Internet leadership and innovation among organizations worldwide. ABF was one of only three transportation providers on the award list and one of only two Internet sites to win the award in 2000 and 2001. Network World magazine also named ABF the E-Comm Innovator of the Year for 2001. With the release of Shipment Director in 2002, ABF introduced an online application that helps customers streamline document preparation and freight tendering across multiple shipments. The Reports Inbox tool was launched in 2003, allowing customers to schedule ongoing delivery of status reports and real-time or historical shipment information. ABF is the only carrier to have earned the Excellence in Security Award five times and the only carrier to have earned the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award four times, the latest coming in 2008 and 2009, respectively. ABF is a five-time winner of the ATA President’s Trophy for Safety and 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 also was recognized by CIO magazine for innovative excellence in information technology, earning the 2008 CIO Enterprise Value Award for the transportation industry as well as a spot on the CIO Top 100 Companies list for three consecutive years. In 2009, ABF had two of its drivers selected as Captains for the America’s Road Team, sponsored by the American Trucking Associations. InformationWeek magazine included ABF on its listing of the InformationWeek 500 for the fourth consecutive year. Also in 2009, ABF was named one of the top U.S. companies to sell for in the service sector by Selling Power magazine. It was the eighth consecutive year ABF has been recognized in this select group, placing among the top 10 each year. The ABF training program earned recognition in February 2010 as the highest ranking transportation company on Training magazine's annual Top Training 125 listing. ABF ranked 57th overall.

 

Continues to Expand Supply Chain Solutions Beyond LTL  ABF’s core business remains less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, consolidating freight from multiple shippers into a single truckload. However, ABF’s comprehensive suite of end-to-end supply-chain solutions now includes: TimeKeeper®, a guaranteed expedited service for time-critical, time-definite shipments; TurnKey®, a premium inside delivery and set-up service; Reverse Logistics, a program for planning, implementing, and controlling the flow of materials and related information back through the supply chain; FreightValue®, a brokerage service for shipments requiring special equipment or handling; U-Pack Moving®, a self-load residential moving service; Volume Shipping, a truckload shipping service; and Trade Show, a special service for handling exhibit materials. A frequent user of TimeKeeper expedited shipping is the producer of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Since 2004, ABF has been providing expedited shipping service and logistical support for this popular reality series, broadcast Sundays at 8/7c on the ABC Television Network.

 

North America's Most Trusted Carrier in the 21st Century Today, ABF remains the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation. 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, ABF 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. ABF prides itself in understanding the challenges facing supply-chain managers today. With analytical skills honed by more than 80 years of transportation excellence, ABF is a supply-chain partner constantly seeking to enhance shipping efficiencies and achieve maximum performance for its customers. More than 99 percent of all shipments handled by ABF are moved without a loss or damage claim. No other major carrier even comes close. When people expect more, they choose ABF, North America’s Most Trusted Carrier.