Arkansas Best profit falls, hurt by pension charge

Arkansas Best Corp said its first-quarter earnings fell, hurt by a charge related to the transportation holding company’s pension benefit plan.

The Ft. Smith, Ark.-based company said it earned $6.1 million, compared with $10.5 million in the year-ago period. Quarterly revenue was $451 million, a per-day increase of 8 percent from the 2005 period, the company said.

The company said its trucking operation, ABF Freight System, had first-quarter 2006 revenue of $414 million, a per-day increase of 7.7 percent compared to first quarter 2005 revenue.