20 ABF Drivers Set to Compete in National Truck Driving Championships

FORT SMITH, Ark., July 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ABF^® is sending 20 champion drivers, including five grand champions, to the National Truck Driving Championships, August 20-24, 2013, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The drivers earned the right to compete in the national championships by winning first place in their respective state driving championships and by maintaining accident-free driving records for the preceding year.

"These drivers are part of a team dedicated to safe driving and devoted to upholding the highest standards of professionalism," said ABF President and CEO Roy Slagle. "The great reputation ABF enjoys as a safe and reliable carrier is a reflection of the drive and dedication of these outstanding employees."

Representing ABF at the 2013 national competition will be a father/son team, Travis Gibson, who won rookie of the year honors, and John R. Gibson of West Virginia. This is the first time ABF has been represented by father/son champions. They will be joined by Steve Smalley, Arizona; Loren Hatfield (grand champion), Arkansas; Tony Spero, Connecticut; Tim Melody (grand champion) and Scott Scheuffele, Idaho; Don Nichols, Maryland; Chuck Colin (grand champion), Minnesota; Ed Beins (grand champion), Nebraska; Gerald Benavidez, Michael Contreras, Charlie Estrada, Ralph Garcia and Ricky Lucas, New Mexico; Allen McNeely, North Carolina; John M. Davis, Virginia; and Tom Martin, John Dill and Andrew Walston (grand champion), Wyoming.  

The National Truck Driving Championships is hosted each year by the American Trucking Associations. Dating to 1937 when it was known as the National Truck Roadeo, the competition is now known informally as the "Super Bowl of Safety."

As the principal subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS), ABF operates as a global provider of customizable freight and logistics solutions. ABF enhances supply chain efficiencies and achieves optimum performance by focusing on specific customer needs and customizing innovative solutions. The company's resource-rich infrastructure includes an innovative Dual-System^® Network for regional and national transportation. Its portfolio of services extends from the manufacturer's floor to expedited and time-definite final delivery. In between, customers benefit from a single point of contact and total end-to-end visibility.

SOURCE ABF Freight System, Inc.