Forty Under 40: Christopher Adkins

ArcBest’s vision, “We’ll find a way,” resonates with Christopher Adkins.

“I like to think that any problem is solvable. If I’m given a mission impossible, I’ll find a way to get an answer and get the job done,” he said.

Adkins leads the team responsible for guiding ArcBest’s strategic yield initiatives related to pricing strategy, process improvement, and reporting data so key leaders can make sound business decisions. He’s had a lead role in the $4 billion logistics company’s strategic initiatives, including automating volume price quotes and tractor detention charges and ArcBest’s introduction of space-based pricing. His most significant contribution was Dynamic LTL (less-than-truckload) Pricing, an online initiative rolled out in 2019 that connects shippers with available capacity in the ABF Freight network.

Growing up on the family farm in St. Joe (Searcy County) contributed to Adkins’ work ethic. He studied industrial engineering at the University of Arkansas.

After graduating in 2012 with a 4.0 GPA, Adkins became a pricing analyst for ABF Freight. In 2017, when ArcBest consolidated several departments and rolled them into the parent company, Adkins was promoted to ArcBest’s engineering and technology yield manager, and then director of yield strategy before becoming vice president in January 2022.

A part of Strata Leadership’s Institute of Emerging Leaders series, ArcBest’s Leadership Series, and a member of ArcBest’s 2018 Leadership Academy, Adkins helped raise $28,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Believing that community starts at home, Adkins spends time with his wife and daughters. As a member of Central Christian Church, he’s “investing in my church body to expand the kingdom and Word,” and supports First Choice Pregnancy Center.