ARKANSAS BEST CORPORATION ANNOUNCES SALE OF INTEGRATED DISTRIBUTION, INC. (NASDAQ/NMS: "ABFS")

(Fort Smith, Arkansas, November 3, 1997) - Arkansas Best Corporation ("Arkansas Best") announced today that it has sold Integrated Distribution, Inc. ("IDI") for approximately $620,000 to Wagner Industries, Inc., a privately held warehousing and distribution company based in North Kansas City, Missouri. As previously announced, Arkansas Best had made the decision in the quarter ended September 30 to exit the logistics segment by disposing of IDI.
IDI is a logistics company whose services includes truckload, freight consolidation and warehousing and is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. IDI was formed by Arkansas Best in 1987. The sale will result in a pre-tax loss to Arkansas Best of approximately $2.3 million, subject to any adjustments in the purchase price under the terms of the definitive agreement. The loss was reported in the third quarter in discontinued operations.
Contact: Mr. David E. Loeffler, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
              Telephone: (479) 785-6157