Name: ABF 

Address: 3801 Old Greenwood  City: Fort Smith 

State: Ark.   CEO: David Stubblefield

Products: Trucking

 Employees: 13,000+ 

   Dramatic growth over seven decades has characterized ABF Freight System, Inc.’s, transformation from a small local carrier into one of the nation’s largest motor carriers.

   Today, it is one of the trucking industry leaders, that operated as OK Transfer in 1923 in and around Fort Smith , Ark. By the time the grandfather clause of the landmark ICC Act of 1935 went into effect, the company had acquired and was operating as Arkansas Motor Freight, running routes to and from Fayetteville and Texarkana , Ark. , and Kansas City and St. Louis , Mo.

   In 1951, after nine more acquisitions, Robert A. Young, Jr., a Fort Smith attorney and businessman, purchased Arkansas Motor Freight. The more than 20 acquisitions that followed illustrated the vision he instilled in the company. Every acquisition turned into a profitable operation within a year after it merged with ABF.

   Following the purchase of Best Motor Freight in 1957, the company’s name was changed to Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc., the name it operated under until the official name change to ABF Freight System, Inc. in 1980. It was in 1966 that the principals of ABF organized Arkansas Best Corporation with ABF becoming its largest subsidiary.

   The subsidiaries of ABC have included banking, computer services, furniture manufacturing, specialized and truckload carriers, as well as warehousing and truck tire recapping.

   ABF became a nationwide carrier in the seventies, with the acquisition of authority in New England , the Southeast and a portion of the Great Lakes region in the early part of the decade and with a major acquisition of authority on the West Coast and in several western states in 1978. The acquisition of Navajo Freight Line that year lifted the company from 25th to 9th in size among the nation’s top 10 regulated interstate motor freight carriers.

   Two years after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 brought deregulation to the trucking industry, ABF further improved its national service with the acquisition of East Texas Motor Freight, opening new operations and substantially increasing market size in several states. In 1995, as a result of Arkansas Best Corporation’s purchase of WorldWay Corporation, ABF consolidated Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation and Red Arrow Freight Lines into its operations. As a result, ABF substantially increased its ability to compete in the regional markets while retaining its status as one of the nation’s four largest national carriers.

   Through more than seven decades of operation, ABF has continued to expand its services and coverage. Today, the company serves all 50 states in the U.S. , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam , and nine provinces from coast-to-coast in Canada . In 1992, the company developed international services on a worldwide basis through cooperation with intermodal partners. Today, ABF’s international operation offers service to 230 ports in more than 130 countries. Also in 1992, an alliance was formed with one of Me xico ’s largest LTL specialists to provide single-bill coverage to that country. In 1993, ABF embarked upon a customized setup and delivery service never before available in the industry.

   ABF realized prior to the onset of deregulation in 1980 that in order to be a major carrier in the 1980’s and beyond that it would have to expand service to every major market in the U.S. ABF has 309 revenue producing facilities in every major market area in the U.S. and serves over 98 percent of the entire U.S. urban population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. ABF will continue to open branches in the future.

Safety

   ABF’s safety initiatives have been recognized as best-in-class, including ABF’s receipt of the ATA’s President’s Trophy in 1998. Over the past two decades, ABF has received the President’s Trophy virtually every year that it has been eligible. In each of the last 28 years, ABF’s safety ranking has been first, second, or third within its trucking category.

   In 2001, the American Trucking Associations recognized ABF as the top motor carrier in security with its Excellence in Security award. The ATA added that ABF has far exceeded expectations as most outstanding in its written security policy, employee selection, incentive and recognition programs, training programs, claims reductions and security procedures.

Distribution centers

   Nine distribution centers are strategically located throughout the ABF system at Albuquerque , N.M. ; Carlisle , Penn. ; Dallas , Texas ; Dayton , Ohio ; Ellenwood , Ga. ; Little Rock , Ark. ; Salt Lake City , Utah ; South Chicago , Ill. ; and Winston-Salem , N.C.

   Today, ABF operates a fleet of more than 1,600 road tractors, 2,700 city tractors and over 17,000 trailers. Its three-year road tractor replacement cycle ensures that it continually has one of the youngest fleets in the industry.

Rating accuracy

   ABF has been recognized as an industry leader in billing accuracy, with more than 99.6 percent of all bills rated correctly.

David son assumes office

   Robert A. David son became president and Chief Executive Officer of ABF Freight System, Inc, Arkansas Best’s largest subsidiary, in February. He replaces David Stubblefield.

   “In the late 50’s my father, Robert A. Young, Jr., hired David Stubblefield as a freight salesman for ABF after a chance meeting while giving him a ride to the wedding of a mutual friend,” said Robert A. Young, III, Arkansas Best President and Chief Executive Officer. “Thus began a 43-year career with ABF that saw Dave positively affect all of the key areas of our company.”

   “It is an honor to follow David Stubblefield and to have the opportunity to build upon his remarkable tenure at ABF,” said Robert David son. “His people-centered management style has fostered enthusiastic, empowered employees at every level of our company. The management team developed by Dave is widely known as the most capable in the industry, and his high ethical standards have shown us the true measure of success. Dave’s legacy leaves ABF positioned for continued success, and we are truly thankful to have served with him.”

   David son previously was ABF’s vice president of marketing and pricing. He has been employed in the corporation 30 years, beginning his career with Arkansas Best in 1972 in the Economic Analysis Department. In 1982, he became ABF’s vice president of pricing and subsequently added the title of vice president of marketing in 1997.

   “I am pleased to have Bob David son leading ABF Freight System into the future,” said Young. “During the last 20 years, his development and implementation of ABF’s account pricing principles have helped make ABF the most profitable long-haul, LTL carrier in the United States . Under Bob’s guidance since 1997, ABF’s marketing department has successfully positioned ABF as the most flexible, customer-oriented carrier in the LTL industry, offering unmatched value to the shipping public. In addition, Bob has overseen the introduction of numerous new services at ABF and the development of abf.com which has been consistently recognized for its innovations by numerous independent organizations.”