8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                           Washington, D.C. 20549-1004

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT


     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 17, 2002
                               (October 16, 2002)



                            ARKANSAS BEST CORPORATION
                            -------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


        Delaware                   0-19969                     71-0673405
 --------------------          ----------------           ---------------------
   (State or other               (Commission                  (IRS Employer
   jurisdiction of               File Number)               Identification No.)
  incorporation or
    organization)


                             3801 Old Greenwood Road
                           Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903
                                 (479) 785-6000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of
                 the registrant's principal executive offices)










ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.

On October 16, 2002, Arkansas Best Corporation issued a press release announcing
the retirement of David E. Stubblefield, President and Chief Executive Officer
of its largest subsidiary, ABF Freight System, Inc. and the appointment of
Robert A. Davidson as his successor. A copy of the press release is attached as
an exhibit to this Report on Form 8-K.

ITEM 7. EXHIBITS.

99.1     Press release of Arkansas Best Corporation dated October 16, 2002.








                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                            ARKANSAS BEST CORPORATION
                            -------------------------
                                  (Registrant)

Date: October 17, 2002                    /s/ David E. Loeffler
      ----------------                 ----------------------------------------
                                       David E. Loeffler,
                                       Vice President - Chief Financial Officer
                                       and Treasurer





                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS




EXHIBIT
NUMBER      DESCRIPTION
- ------      -----------
         
99.1        Press release of Arkansas Best Corporation dated October 16, 2002.

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1


                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


   ABF(R) PRESIDENT AND CEO DAVID E. STUBBLEFIELD TO RETIRE IN 2003; ROBERT A.
                          DAVIDSON NAMED HIS SUCCESSOR

(Fort Smith, Arkansas, October 16, 2002) -- Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq:
ABFS) today announced that David E. Stubblefield, current President and Chief
Executive Officer of its largest subsidiary, ABF Freight System Inc.(R), will be
retiring on January 31, 2003. Robert A. Davidson will become ABF's President and
Chief Executive Officer effective February 1, 2003.

Mr. Stubblefield joined ABF(R) in 1959 as a local sales representative in the
Little Rock, Arkansas freight facility. During his career Mr. Stubblefield
worked in ABF's Transportation Department, was ABF's Director of Research and
Planning, headed Data-Tronics Corporation which is Arkansas Best's information
technology subsidiary, was the Treasurer of Arkansas Best and its various
subsidiary companies, and served for fifteen years as the Senior Vice President
of Marketing for ABF. Since 1995, Mr. Stubblefield has served as ABF's President
and Chief Executive Officer.

"In the late 50s my father, Robert A. Young, Jr., hired David Stubblefield as a
freight salesman for ABF after a chance meeting while giving him a ride to the
wedding of a mutual friend," said Robert A. Young, III, Arkansas Best President
and Chief Executive Officer. "Thus began a 43-year career with ABF that saw Dave
positively affect all of the key areas of our company. David Stubblefield has
truly helped shape ABF into the successful company that it is today. Dave's
influence and knowledge allowed ABF to effectively integrate numerous
acquisitions throughout its history, including two companies that were larger
than ABF at the time. When deregulation of the LTL industry in the early 80s
dictated a new competitive philosophy to insure survival, David Stubblefield
guided important changes in ABF's sales and pricing initiatives. As a result,
ABF is one of only six of the fifty largest LTL carriers in 1980 to remain in
business today. After becoming ABF's President and Chief Executive Officer,
David Stubblefield led the company through the successful integration of its
last major acquisition in late 1995 and 1996 and helped ABF achieve record
profits in recent years," said Mr. Young. "As I look at ABF today and consider
Dave's positive influence and his vision in guiding our company, I am so
thankful that my father offered that ride to him so many years ago. Now at age
65, with Dave stepping down to devote his full attention to his wife Suzanne,
their two children and ten grandchildren, we thank him for his service to our
company and wish him good health and many blessings."

"It is an honor to follow David Stubblefield and to have the opportunity to
build upon his remarkable tenure at ABF," said Robert Davidson. "His
people-centered management style has fostered enthusiastic, empowered employees
at every level of our company. The management team developed by Dave is widely
known as the most capable in the industry, and his high ethical standards have
shown us the true measure of success. Dave's legacy leaves ABF positioned for
continued success, and we are truly thankful to have served with him."

Robert Davidson is currently ABF's Vice President of Marketing and Pricing. He
has been employed in the corporation for thirty years, beginning his career with
Arkansas Best in 1972 in the Economic Analysis Department. In 1982, he became
ABF's Vice President of Pricing and subsequently added the title of Vice
President of Marketing in 1997. Mr. Davidson, who is 54 years old, holds a
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a Master of Business
Administration from the University of Arkansas.







"I am pleased to have Bob Davidson leading ABF Freight System into the future,"
said Mr. Young. "During the last twenty years, his development and
implementation of ABF's account pricing principles have helped make ABF the most
profitable long-haul, LTL carrier in the United States. Under Bob's guidance
since 1997, ABF's Marketing Department has successfully positioned ABF as the
most flexible, customer-oriented carrier in the LTL industry, offering unmatched
value to the shipping public. In addition, Bob has overseen the introduction of
numerous new services at ABF and the development of abf.com which has been
consistently recognized for its innovation by numerous independent
organizations," said Mr. Young. "I am confident that ABF will reach new levels
of excellence under Bob's leadership."

"Bob Davidson has reported directly to me for twenty-three of his thirty years
at ABF," said David Stubblefield. "Bob is fully prepared for this challenge and
I have complete confidence in his ability to lead the company. I have been
planning for retirement with the expectation that ABF will achieve even greater
success in the future."

Contact: Mr. David Humphrey, Director of Investor Relations - Arkansas Best
     Corporation Telephone: (479) 785-6200

     Mr. Chris Baltz, Director of Marketing & Public Relations - ABF Freight
     System Telephone: (479) 785-8803

Photo images of Mr. Stubblefield and Mr. Davidson are available upon request to
marketing@abf.com.

                                 END OF RELEASE