8-K

June 30

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 22, 2019 (October 22, 2019)

ARCBEST CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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

8401 McClure Drive

Fort Smith, Arkansas 72916

(479) 785-6000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of

the registrant's principal executive offices)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock $0.01 Par Value	ARCB	Nasdaq

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions.

☐ Written communication pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.☐

ITEM 7.01 – REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

ArcBest^® (Nasdaq: ARCB) is providing the following update on a pilot test program (the “pilot”) at ABF Freight^®. ABF Freight is the wholly-owned, less-than-truckload carrier subsidiary of ArcBest reported within the Asset-Based operating segment.

In early 2019, ArcBest Technologies, a wholly-owned ArcBest subsidiary which is focused on the advancement of supply chain execution technologies, began a pilot test program to improve freight handling at ABF Freight.

The pilot program utilizes patented handling equipment, software and a patented process to load and unload trailers more rapidly and safely, with full freight loads pulled out of the trailer onto the facility floor and accessible from multiple points.

The pilot, which is in the early stages in a limited number of locations, provides ABF Freight an opportunity to evaluate the potential for improving safety and working conditions for employees and for providing a better experience for customers. Potential benefits include improved transit performance, reduced cargo claims, reduced injuries and workers’ compensation claims, and faster employee training.

ABF Freight has leased new facilities in the test pilot regions in Indiana and also at a new Kansas City distribution center location expected to open in mid-2020.

Capital expenditures related to the pilot are included in the ArcBest previously announced capital expenditures for 2018 and 2019. Updates to capital expenditures will be disclosed as results of the pilot and future expansion plans, if any, are determined. Also as previously disclosed, the transition of this test pilot program from ArcBest Technologies into ABF Freight’s field operation for more extensive and live testing has increased the Asset-Based segment operating costs.

While ArcBest believes the pilot has potential to provide safer and improved freight-handling, a number of factors will be involved in determining proof of concept and there can be no assurances that pilot testing will be successful or expand beyond current testing locations.

The following is a “safe harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:  Certain statements and information in this report may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “foresee,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “scheduled,” “should,” “would,” and similar expressions and the negatives of such terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, and expectations based on currently available information, are not guarantees of future performance, and involve certain risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control). Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, we cannot provide assurance that our expectations will prove to be correct. Actual outcomes and results could materially differ from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted in these statements due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to: a failure of our information systems, including disruptions or failures of services essential to our operations or upon which our information technology platforms rely, data breach, and/or cybersecurity incidents; untimely or ineffective development and implementation of new or enhanced technology or processes, including the pilot; failure to realize potential benefits associated with new or enhanced technology or processes, including the pilot, and any write-offs associated therewith; the loss or reduction of business from large customers; competitive initiatives and pricing pressures; relationships with employees, including unions, and our ability to attract and retain employees; unfavorable terms of, or the inability to reach agreement on, future collective bargaining agreements or a workforce stoppage by our employees covered under ABF Freight’s collective bargaining agreement; the cost, timing, and performance of growth initiatives; general economic conditions and related shifts in market demand that impact the performance and needs of industries we serve and/or limit our customers’ access to adequate financial resources; availability and cost of reliable third-party services; governmental regulations; environmental laws and regulations, including emissions-control regulations; union and nonunion employee wages and benefits, including changes in required contributions to multiemployer plans; our ability to secure independent owner operators and/or operational or regulatory issues related to our use of their services; litigation or claims asserted against us; maintaining our intellectual property rights, brand, and corporate reputation; the loss of key employees or the inability to execute succession planning strategies; default on covenants of financing arrangements and the availability and terms of future financing arrangements; timing and amount of capital expenditures; self-insurance claims and insurance premium costs; the cost, integration, and performance of any recent or future acquisitions; availability of fuel, the effect of volatility in fuel prices and the associated changes in fuel surcharges on securing increases in base freight rates, and the inability to collect fuel surcharges; increased prices for and decreased availability of new revenue equipment, decreases in value of used revenue equipment, and higher costs of equipment-related operating expenses such as maintenance and fuel and related taxes; potential impairment of goodwill and intangible assets; greater than anticipated funding requirements for our nonunion defined benefit pension plan; seasonal fluctuations and adverse weather conditions; regulatory, economic, and other risks arising from our international business; antiterrorism and safety measures; and other financial, operational, and legal risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in ArcBest’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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.

Se
		ARCBEST CORPORATION
		(Registrant)
Date:	October 22, 2019	/s/ Michael R. Johns
		Michael R. Johns
		Vice President – General Counsel
		and Corporate Secretary

XML

Document and Entity Information	Oct. 22, 2019
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Oct. 22, 2019
Entity Registrant Name	ARCBEST CORPORATION
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	0-19969
Entity Tax Identification Number	71-0673405
Entity Address, Address Line One	8401 McClure Drive
Entity Address, City or Town	Fort Smith
Entity Address, State or Province	AR
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	72916
City Area Code	479
Local Phone Number	785-6000
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock $0.01 Par Value
Trading Symbol	ARCB
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000894405
Amendment Flag	false