ABF Celebrates Excellence During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

FORT SMITH, Ark., Sept. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ABF® is celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, September 11-17, 2011, with a system-wide campaign commemorating excellence in transportation. Called, "Setting the Bar," the campaign underscores the fundamental role of transportation industry employees in building and sustaining economic growth.

"There is something to be said for setting the bar high," said ABF President and Chief Executive Officer Wes Kemp . "This campaign recognizes the hard work and continuing efforts of all ABF employees to uphold the highest standards of excellence. Our success is built on perpetual teamwork and personal attention to detail. We commend and thank ABF employees everywhere for their individual and joint contributions to the achievements of our company."

During the campaign, each ABF employee is sent a note of appreciation, and ABF service centers host special events. ABF also recognizes outstanding performance by its employees, particularly professional drivers, throughout the year. Ongoing ABF training and recognition programs are designed to help ABF employees maintain the highest standards of professionalism and become ambassadors for promoting safety and increasing public appreciation for the trucking industry.

According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the trucking industry includes 3.4 million professional truck drivers—one of every 19 working Americans. According to the most recent ATA statistics, the U.S. trucking industry annually hauls approximately nine billion tons of freight, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the nation's total freight tonnage. Rail, the second busiest mode, moves approximately 14 percent of the nation's annual freight tonnage. The trucking industry is a $545 billion industry, representing 82 percent of the nation's freight bill. The ATA also reports the trucking industry pays approximately $34 billion in federal and state highway taxes annually. Trucks account for 11 percent of vehicles on U.S. roads.

As the principal subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS), ABF operates as a global provider of customizable supply chain solutions. ABF enhances supply chain efficiencies and achieves optimum performance by focusing on specific logistics needs and customizing appropriate responses. The carrier's resource-rich infrastructure includes a dynamic dual-system network for regional and national transportation. Its portfolio of logistics services extends from the manufacturer's floor to expedited or white-glove final delivery. In between, customers benefit from a single point of contact and total end-to-end supply chain visibility.

SOURCE ABF Freight System, Inc.