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                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.1

                  CERTIFICATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

I, Donald B. Cochran, certify that:

      1.    I have reviewed this report on Form 10-Q of Universal Truckload
            Services, Inc.;

      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 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 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 controls 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.

      6.    The registrant's other certifying officer and I have indicated in
            this report whether or not there were significant changes in
            internal controls or in other factors that could significantly
            affect internal controls subsequent to the date of our evaluation,
            including any corrective actions with regard to significant
            deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date: May 11, 2005

                                           /s/ Donald B. Cochran
                                           ------------------------
                                           Donald B. Cochran
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer