LONG-TERM DEBT AND FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	$ 112,845	$ 155,985
Less current portion	31,513	43,044
Long-term debt, less current portion	81,332	112,941
Weighted-average interest rate (as a percent)	2.10%
Payments under long-term debt obligations
2014	33,659
2015	28,467
2016	19,313
2017	37,121
2018	226
Thereafter	252
Total payments	119,038
Less amounts representing interest	6,193
Long-term debt	112,845	155,985
Term Loan
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	83,750	95,000
Interest rate (as a percent)	1.70%
Payments under long-term debt obligations
2014	15,178
2015	17,716
2016	19,100
2017	36,902
Total payments	88,896
Less amounts representing interest	5,146
Long-term debt	83,750	95,000
Notes payable
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	22,082	37,756
Weighted-average interest rate (as a percent)	3.00%
Payments under long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	22,082	37,756
Notes payable \| Revenue Equipment
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	22,082
Payments under long-term debt obligations
2014	15,561
2015	7,033
Total payments	22,594
Less amounts representing interest	512
Long-term debt	22,082
Capital lease obligations
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	7,013	23,229
Weighted-average interest rate (as a percent)	4.80%
Payments under long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	7,013	23,229
Capital lease obligations \| Revenue Equipment
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	5,202
Payments under long-term debt obligations
2014	2,425
2015	3,061
Total payments	5,486
Less amounts representing interest	284
Long-term debt	5,202
Capital lease obligations \| Land and structures
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	1,101
Payments under long-term debt obligations
2014	200
2015	206
2016	213
2017	219
2018	226
Thereafter	252
Total payments	1,316
Less amounts representing interest	215
Long-term debt	1,101
Capital lease obligations \| Equipment and Other
Long-term debt obligations
Long-term debt	710
Payments under long-term debt obligations
2014	295
2015	451
Total payments	746
Less amounts representing interest	36
Long-term debt	$ 710

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents aggregate future amounts due of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDue
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents amount of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest, due within one year of the latest balance sheet date presented.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDueCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents amount of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest, due after four and within five years of the latest balance sheet date presented.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents amount of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest, due after three and within four years of the latest balance sheet date presented.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents amount of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest, due after two and within three years of the latest balance sheet date presented.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents amount of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest, due after one and within two years of the latest balance sheet date presented.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents amount of contractually required rental payments on leases meeting the criteria for capitalization and maturities on long-term debt, including interest, due after five years from the latest balance sheet date presented.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the interest amount by which long-term debt payments are reduced to calculate the present value of long-term debt.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abfs_MaturitiesOfLongTermDebtAndFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderCapitalLeasesInterestIncludedInPayments
Namespace Prefix:	abfs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all debt, including all short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13,16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 6

-Section H

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and capital leases due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant