Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
SMITH TONY
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
COVENANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP INC [CVTI]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
President of Subsidiary
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
09/14/2009
(Street)

CHATTANOOGA, TN 37419
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Class A Common Stock 09/14/2009   A   5,000 (1) A $ 0 62,938 (2) D  
Class A Common Stock               10,000 D (3)  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
SMITH TONY
400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY
CHATTANOOGA, TN 37419
      President of Subsidiary  

Signatures

 /s/ Tony Smith, by Heidi Hornung-Scherr, attorney-in-fact, pursuant to a POA previously filed with the SEC   09/16/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Represents a restricted stock award under the 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as such plan may be amended from time to time. The shares subject to the award vest when and if the issuer's Compensation Committee certifies that the issuer's consolidated diluted earnings per share, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the award notice, for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010 is equal to or greater than $0.05.
(2) Represents (i) the shares disclosed in footnote (1) above, (ii) 45,500 shares owned by the reporting person, and (iii) 12,438 restricted shares of the issuer's Class A common stock granted March 31, 2009, pursuant to a transaction previously reported by the reporting person (although the aggregate amount granted in the March 31, 2009, transaction was determined following the reporting deadline for the transaction as it was based upon the closing price of the issuer's Class A common stock two full trading days following the public release of the issuer's first quarter 2009 earnings).
(3) Shares owned jointly by Mr. Smith and his wife, Kathy Smith, as joint tenants with rights of survivorship.

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