'Best of the Best' Selected for 2006 ABF President's Quality Awards
(FORT SMITH, Ark., May 31, 2006) - ABF Freight System, Inc.®, customer service centers in Ogden, Utah; Rockford, Ill.; Burlington, Vt.; and Carlisle, Penn., have earned the prestigious 2006 President's Quality Award. Presented annually by ABF®, the Quality Award recognizes facilities that have most successfully implemented the ABF Quality Process. It is the highest internal recognition available to ABF customer service centers.
Each nominated ABF customer service center undergoes extensive evaluations, including a quality awareness survey, an on-site validation audit and scrutiny by the ABF Quality Implementation Committee. The rigorous selection process gauges resource management, loss and damage prevention, customer satisfaction and other key performance indicators. Finalists are submitted to ABF President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Davidson, who selects the winners.
Winning facilities are known throughout the ABF North American system as the "Best of the Best." Led by Carlisle, a five-time Quality Award winner, each of the recognized teams helps to establish the performance standards followed by all other ABF customer service centers.
"The experience and responsiveness of our highly motivated local service personnel allow ABF to continue to be the benchmark for customer service in the transportation industry," says Davidson. "The outstanding performances in Ogden, Rockford, Burlington, and Carlisle are setting the pace for all of our employees. Their versatility, attention to detail and conscientious approach allow us to achieve quantifiable results that include satisfied customers and significant cost savings."
Joe Davis, ABF director of quality awareness, adds, "The ABF Quality Process identifies areas of nonconformance and establishes procedures for correcting and eliminating problems. Since institutionalizing quality as a process in 1984, the standards for excellence and the levels of performance have moved higher each year."
Mr. Davidson is scheduled to present the awards in Ogden on June 6, Rockford on June 7, and Burlington and Carlisle on June 8. Each facility receives a permanent plaque and a traveling Quality Cup in a ceremony attended by the ABF Quality Implementation Committee, local employees and special guests.
Established in 1923, ABF is one of North America's oldest and most reputable motor carriers. Recognized as a benchmark for safety, security, technology and freight-handling standards, ABF has a distinguished record of service. In four of the past five years, ABF has earned either the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award, the Excellence in Security Award, or both from the American Trucking Associations Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council. ABF is the only carrier to have earned both awards in the same year, which it achieved in 2005 and 2001. ABF also was recognized by CIO magazine for innovative excellence in information technology, earning the 2005 CIO Enterprise Value Award for the transportation industry as well as a spot on the CIO Top 100 Companies list in both 2005 and 2004.
ABF operates an extensive network of customer service centers and distribution facilities strategically located throughout North America . Through this network, ABF provides comprehensive shipping services to all 50 states, Canada , Mexico , Guam and Puerto Rico . Globally, the carrier serves 250 ports in more than 130 countries. ABF is certified as an Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) carrier by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) carrier to and from Canada . Via its TimeKeeper® service, ABF provides guaranteed service for expedited or time-definite shipments.
ABF is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS).
Contact: Mr. Danny Loe, director of marketing & public relations
Telephone: (479) 785-8803
