Exhibit 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, William G. Smith, certify that:

     1.   I have reviewed this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q 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(s) 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 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 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; and

     5.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) 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


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          (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:    August 14, 2003

                                    /s/ William G. Smith
                                 -------------------------------------
                                 William G. Smith
                                 Chief Executive Officer