Arkansas Best Corporation                    
                                                                      Year Ended December 31
                                                   1996          1995 (6)      1994          1993         1992   
                                                                ($ in thousands except per share amounts)
Statement of Operations Data:
  Operating revenues                          $ 1,659,184   $ 1,437,279   $ 1,098,421   $ 1,009,918    $ 959,949
  Operating income (loss)                         (22,328)      (23,459)       48,115        51,369       57,255
  Minority interest in subsidiary                  (1,768)        1,297         3,523         3,140        2,825
  Other expenses, net                               4,309         5,185           968           731        1,496
  Interest expense                                 31,869        17,046         6,985         7,248       17,285
  Income (loss) before income taxes, 
   extraordinary item and cumulative 
   effect of accounting change                    (56,738)      (46,987)       36,639        40,250       35,649

  Provisions (credit) for income taxes            (20,135)      (14,195)       17,932        19,278       16,894
  Income (loss) before extraordinary 
   item and cumulative effect
   of accounting change                           (36,603)      (32,792)       18,707        20,972       18,755
  Extraordinary item (1)                                -             -             -          (661)     (15,975)
  Cumulative effect on prior years of change 
   in revenue recognition method (2)                    -             -             -             -       (3,363)
  Net income (loss)                               (36,603)      (32,792)       18,707        20,311         (583)
  Income (loss) per common share 
   before extraordinary item and cumulative 
   effect of accounting change                      (2.10)        (1.90)          .74           .89          .99

  Net income (loss) per common share                (2.10)        (1.90)          .74           .85         (.03)
  Cash dividends paid per common share (3)            .01           .04           .04           .04          .02

Pro Forma Data (4):
  Income (loss) before extraordinary item     $   (36,603)  $   (32,792)  $    18,707   $    20,972   $   18,755
  Income (loss) before extraordinary
   item per common share                           (2.10)        (1.90)          .74           .89          .99
  Net income (loss)                               (36,603)      (32,792)       18,707        20,311        2,780
  Net income (loss) per common share                (2.10)        (1.90)          .74           .85          .15

Balance Sheet Data
 (as of the end of the period):
  Total assets                                $   843,200   $   985,837   $   569,045   $   447,733   $  428,345
  Current portion of long-term debt                39,082        26,634        65,161        15,239       28,348
  Long-term debt (including capital leases 
   and excluding current portion)                 326,950       399,144        59,295        43,731      107,075
 
Other Data
  Capital expenditures (5)                    $    41,599   $    74,808   $    64,098   $    33,160   $   26,596
  Depreciation and amortization                    56,389        46,627        28,087        28,266       34,473
  Goodwill amortization                             4,609         5,135         3,527         3,064        3,034
  Other amortization                                3,740         1,044           501           319          755

(1)

For 1993, represents an extraordinary charge of $661,000 (net of tax of $413,000) from the loss on extinguishment of debt. For 1992, represents an extraordinary charge of $15,975,000 (net of tax of $9,700,000) from the loss on extinguishment of debt in May 1992.

(2)

Represents a charge of $3,363,000 (net of tax of $2,100,000) to reflect the cumulative effect on prior years of the change in method of accounting for the recognition of revenue as required under the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Emerging Issues Task Force Ruling 91-9 (“EITF 91-9”).

(3)

Cash dividends on the Company’s Common Stock were indefinitely suspended by the Company as of the second quarter of 1996. No cash dividends were paid by the Company during the first three quarter of 1992.

(4)

Assumes the change in accounting method for recognition of revenue as required under EITF 91-9 occurred January 1, 1992.

(5)

Net of equipment trade-ins. Does not include revenue equipment placed in service under operating leases, which amounted to $24.6 million in 1995, $24.8 million in 1993 and $25.5 million in 1992. There were no operating leases for revenue equipment entered into for 1996 and 1994. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis-Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

(6)

1995 selected financial data is not comparative to the prior years’ information due to the WorldWay acquisition effective August 12, 1995. In conjunction with the WorldWay acquisition, assets with a fair value of $313 million were acquired and liabilities of approximately $252 million were assumed. Approximately $134 million in revenues for the period from August 12, 1995 to December 31, 1995, are included in the 1995 consolidated statement of operations generated by subsidiaries acquired as part of the WorldWay acquisition.