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                                                                   EXHIBIT 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATION

I, G. Larry Owens, certify that:

       1.  I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Smithway
Motor Xpress Corp.;

       2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

       3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant
as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

       4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and we have:

           a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
       disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision,
       to ensure that material information relating to the registrant,
       including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others
       within those entities, particularly during the period in which this
       report is being prepared;

           b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
       controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
       about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of
       the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;
       and

           c) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
       control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
       13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) that occurred during the registrant's most
       recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the
       case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
       likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over
       financial reporting.

       5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

           a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
       design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
       are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
       record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

           b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
       other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
       control over financial reporting.


Date: March 16, 2005                        /s/ G. Larry Owens
                                            -----------------------------------
                                            G. Larry Owens
                                            Chief Executive Officer