ABF Drivers Boyer, McCarty and McElwaney Named America's Road Team Captains

FORT SMITH, Ark., Jan. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Three ABF® drivers were named Captains of the 2011-2012 America's Road Team by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), more than any other carrier. David Boyer of Wytheville, Virginia, Nate McCarty of Denver and Tim McElwaney of Atlanta join an elite group of 18 Captains chosen to represent the industry and promote highway safety. The Road Team has included an ABF driver every year since 1995, with two ABF drivers on five of the past six teams.  

"Continuous pursuit of safety and education, as seen in the accomplishments of these drivers, is part of ABF's corporate culture," said ABF President and Chief Executive Officer Wes Kemp. "David, Nate and Tim are not only great assets to ABF, they're equally valuable to the trucking industry at large. They serve as role models and help ABF earn its reputation as one of the safest carriers in the country year after year."

The Captains were selected from a group 34 finalists who competed last week before a panel of judges from the trucking industry and related fields. The competition included a review of trucking industry expertise and a demonstration of their communication skills, combined with their community service and lifetime safety records.

America's Road Team represents America's 3.4 million professional drivers and serves as an example of the professional dedication and teamwork needed to deliver America's freight safely and on time. "The America's Road Team puts an impressive face behind the wheel," said Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer. "These ambassadors to the industry have remarkable safe driving records and an unmatched enthusiasm for their job and for the industry. Their desire to share their knowledge and passion for safety benefits the motoring public and helps keep our highways safe."

While maintaining their jobs as full-time professional drivers, the new America's Road Team Captains will now travel the country speaking on behalf of the trucking industry to the community, news media and public officials. The Captains will address transportation and safety issues, speaking at community events and anywhere they can reach the motoring public to share safe driving tips and offer advice on how to safely share the road with tractor-trailers. The America's Road Team Captains also advocate safety to those within the industry at terminals and truck stops. They speak with fellow drivers, driver training students and corporate safety officers. They also have the opportunity to present trucking and safety issues before our public officials, at the national, state and local levels.

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 six-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 has 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.