[3] The company name changed again when, after Young acquired Dallas, Texas-based Best Motor Freight in 1956,[4] he merged the two companies in 1957 as Arkansas-Best Freight System Inc.[5] Arkansas-Best again expanded in 1961 when it acquired Healzer Cartage of Kansas City, Missouri for US$500,000.

Healzer had been founded in 1930 in Hutchinson, Kansas and at the time of acquisition reported nearly US$3 million annually in revenue.

Day Truck Line, Associated Transport, Western Gillette,[8] and a portion of the routes of Great Lakes Express Co. which expanded its midwestern operations.

This pushed Arkansas-Best's operations all the way to California and increased its rank from the 25th largest interstate motor freight carrier in the US to ninth.

[7] Arkansas-Best changed its name to ABF Freight System Inc. in 1980[7] and, by 1981, was the eighth largest trucking company in the US operating 106 terminals.