SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* MARQUARD WILLIAM A (Last) (First) (Middle) 3801 OLD GREENWOOD ROAD (Street) FORT SMITH AR 72903 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ARKANSAS BEST CORP /DE/ [ ABFS ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) X Director 10% Owner Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/17/2004
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		M		7,500	A	$12.25	7,500	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		M		7,500	A	$11.063	15,000	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		M		3,000	A	$7.625	18,000	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		M		6,000	A	$13.625	24,000	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		M		4,500	A	$24.375	28,500	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		M		1,500	A	$24.59	30,000	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		S		1,000	D	$29.25	29,000	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	02/17/2004		S		200	D	$29.27	28,800	D
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share								161,048(1)	I	by Marquard Family Partnership, LTD

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$12.25	02/17/2004		M			7,500	(2)	01/30/2005	Common Stock Par Value, $0.01 Per Share	7,500	(3)	0	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$11.063	02/17/2004		M			7,500	(4)	01/27/2008	Common Stock Par Value, $0.01 Per Share	7,500	(3)	0	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$7.625	02/17/2004		M			3,000	(5)	01/26/2009	Common Stock Par Value, $0.01 Per Share	3,000	(3)	0	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$13.625	02/17/2004		M			6,000	(6)	04/18/2010	Common Stock Par Value, $0.01 Per Share	6,000	(3)	1,500	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$24.375	02/17/2004		M			4,500	(7)	01/17/2011	Common Stock Par Value, $0.01 Per Share	4,500	(3)	3,000	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$24.59	02/17/2004		M			1,500	(8)	01/21/2013	Common Stock Par Value, $0.01 Per Share	1,500	(3)	6,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. In addition to the 141,048 shares that were transferred into the Marquard Family Partnership, LTD on 4/29/2003, 20,000 shares that he owned directly were also transferred into that partnership on the same date, bringing his total in the partnership to 161,048.

2. The option is exercisable in five (5) annual installments beginning on 1/31/96.

3. Field intentionally left blank.

4. The option is exercisable in five (5) annual installments beginning on 1/28/1999.

5. The option is exercisable in five (5) annual installments beginning on 1/27/2000.

6. The option is exercisable in five (5) annual installments beginning on 01/01/2001.

7. The option is exercisable in five (5) annual installments beginning on 1/18/2002.

8. The option is exercisable in five (5) annual installments beginning on 1/22/2004.

Remarks:

	/s/ William A. Marquard	02/19/2004
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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