ABF Freight: deep heritage, ArcBest scale

ABF Freight is one of the most established names in American less-than-truckload trucking, founded in 1935 and headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Today it operates as the flagship LTL carrier of ArcBest, a publicly traded (NYSE) logistics company — which gives ABF the financial backing, scale, and integrated-logistics depth of a major parent while retaining the freight expertise it has built over nearly nine decades.

ABF’s network covers the United States and Canada with a dense terminal footprint and a reputation for handling freight that other carriers shy away from — heavy, oversized, and complex shipments included. That capability comes from generations of operational know-how and a workforce experienced in the hard parts of freight: securing difficult loads, navigating tight delivery situations, and getting shipments through without damage.

The ArcBest advantage. Because ABF sits inside ArcBest, a shipper using ABF can tap a broader suite of logistics services — managed transportation, expedited, and more — through one corporate relationship. That integration makes ABF a strong fit for shippers whose needs extend beyond standard LTL into more complex, multi-modal logistics.

Density and class. ABF prices LTL on class, which is driven by density. Estimate your shipment’s density and class with our freight density calculator before requesting an ABF rate, so your quote is accurate from the start.

How RS Group uses ABF Freight. ABF is one of the carriers we tender to when a shipment needs nationwide U.S./Canada coverage, the backing of a major parent, or experienced handling of heavy and complex freight. As your broker, RS Group classifies the freight, prices it against ABF and the rest of our 34,000+ carrier network, books the best fit for your lane and deadline, and stays your single point of contact through delivery. You get ABF’s heritage and ArcBest’s scale without managing the carrier yourself — we handle the rate, the routing, and the follow-through.