ABF scores high on training list

For the third consecutive year, Fort Smith-based ABF Freight System is listed among Training magazine's Training Top 125, which ranks companies' excellence in employer-sponsored training and development programs.

ABF ranks seventh on this list, and it is the third consecutive year the less-than-truckload company has made the list.

"ABF strives to be a leader in recruiting, training and equipping transportation professionals," ABF President and CEO Roy Slagle said in a statement. "Once trained, our employees are empowered to serve the specific needs of a diverse group of customers. It is always gratifying to have our efforts recognized by a prestigious publication like Training magazine."

The rankings were announced during a gala at the Training 2012 Conference and Expo held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Feb. 13-15. The complete list appears in the February issue of Training magazine and on the magazine website.

Now in its 12th year, the Training Top 125 ranking is based on benchmarking statistics such as total training budget; percentage of payroll; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement, and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs.

The ranking is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.