Arkansas Best Corporation to Appear At The Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Global Transportation Conference

(Fort Smith, Arkansas, May 9, 2012) -- Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS) will appear at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Global Transportation Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday, May 17, at 10:10 a.m. ET. Michael E. Newcity, Vice President - Chief Financial Officer, will speak on a panel entitled “Walking the Volume/Pricing Tightrope.” The live program will be webcast (in a listen-only mode) and an archive will be available following the presentation.

To access the live audio, please go to the company’s website at arkbest.com. This presentation will be archived through June 15, 2012.

Arkansas Best Corporation, headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas, is a freight transportation services and solutions provider. Through its various subsidiaries, Arkansas Best offers a wide variety of logistics services including: domestic and global transportation of less-than-truckload (“LTL”) and full load shipments, expedited and time-definite delivery solutions, freight brokerage, oversight of roadside assistance and equipment services for commercial vehicles, and household goods moving market services for consumers, corporations and the military. More information is available at arkbest.com and abf.com.

Contact: Mr. David Humphrey, Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
              Telephone (479) 785-6200