ARKANSAS BEST CORPORATION ANNOUNCES REDEMPTION OF WORLDWAY CORPORATION 6 ¼% CONVERTIBLE SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES DUE 2011

Fort Smith, Arkansas (January 24, 2002)—Arkansas Best Corporation announced today that it has called, for redemption, all outstanding Worldway Corporation 6 ¼% Convertible Subordinated Debentures Due 2011. The redemption date of the debentures will be February 25, 2002 and the redemption price will be the par value of each debenture plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date.
On and after the redemption date, the debentures will no longer be deemed to be outstanding, interest on the debentures will cease to accrue, and all rights of the holders of debentures as holders of debentures will cease, except for the right to receive the redemption price upon surrender of debentures.
As of January 23, 2002, approximately $4,995,000 (par value) of the debentures was outstanding. The notice of redemption and related materials will be mailed to registered holders of the debentures on or about Thursday, January 24, 2002. Debentures are to be surrendered to First Union National Bank, as trustee, by mail at the address set forth in the NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Questions relating to, and requests for additional copies of, the notice of redemption and the related materials should be directed to the trustee at (800) 665-9343 (toll free).
Arkansas Best Corporation’s common stock trades on The Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “ABFS.”
The following is a “safe harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements contained in this press release that are not based on historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” Terms such as “estimate,” “expect,” “predict,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “should,” “would,” “scheduled,” and similar expressions and the negatives of such terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are by their nature subject to uncertainties and risk, including but not limited to union relations; availability and cost of capital; shifts in market demand; weather conditions; the performance and needs of industries served by Arkansas Best’s subsidiaries; actual future costs of operating expenses such as fuel and related taxes; self-insurance claims and employee wages and benefits; actual costs of continuing investments in technology, the timing and amount of capital expenditures; competitive initiatives and pricing pressures; general economic conditions; and other financial, operational and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC public filings.
Contact: Mr. David E. Loeffler, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
              Telephone: (479) 785-6157        
              Mr. David Humphrey, Director of Investor Relations
              Telephone (479) 785-6200