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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.1


                 SUNTRUST LEASING CORPORATION COMMITMENT LETTER

                                 USA TRUCK, INC.


                         USA TRUCK, INC. LEASE PROPOSAL

LESSOR:                           SunTrust Leasing Corporation and/or its
                                  assignee or nominee

LESSEE:                           USA Truck, Inc.

EQUIPMENT:                        Up to 230 New 2000 and 2001 Model Freightliner
                                  Tractors

ESTIMATED EQUIPMENT COST:         $16,500,000.00

BASIC TERM:                       42 Months

BASIC TERM COMMENCEMENT DATE:     Fundings under this lease line shall be
                                  completed between January 15, 2000 and
                                  December 31, 2000. The Basic Term will
                                  commence on the 30th day of the month
                                  following the date of the Lease Schedule.

BASIC TERM RENTALS:               Lease Rentals will be payable monthly in
                                  arrears from the Basic Term Commencement Date.

                                  Base Lease             Monthly Rental Factor
                                  Commencement Date      (As a % of Equip. Cost)
                                  -----------------      -----------------------
                                  January 15, 2000             1.71097
                                  February 15, 2000            1.70676
                                  March 15, 2000               1.70246
                                  April 15, 2000               1.69879
                                  May 15, 2000                 1.69669
                                  June 15, 2000                1.68903
                                  July 15, 2000                1.67892
                                  August 15, 2000              1.67294
                                  September 15, 2000           1.66673
                                  October 15, 2000             1.66314
                                  November 15, 2000            1.65738
                                  December 15, 2000            1.64540

                                  The above Monthly Rental Factor is based on
                                  current market conditions as of December 30,
                                  1999. As of this date the yield for the Three
                                  (3) Year Treasury Note is 6.20%. The Monthly
                                  Rental Factor will be adjusted upward or
                                  downward by .011704% for every 25 basis points
                                  change in the yield of the 3-Year Treasury, or
                                  pro rata share thereof. On the Acceptance
                                  Date, the then prevailing Lease Rate Factor
                                  shall be determined by the Lessor and shall
                                  remain fixed for the Base Lease Term.


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INTERIM LEASE TERM AND RENT:      The Interim Lease Term will run from the date
                                  the Equipment is accepted by the Lessee to
                                  (but not including) the Basic Term
                                  Commencement Date. Interim Rent will be paid
                                  by the Lessee on the Basic Term Commencement
                                  Date in an amount equal to the daily
                                  equivalent of the Basic Term Rentals.

END OF TERM OPTIONS: At the end of the Basic Term, the Lessee shall have the
option of purchasing the Equipment or returning the Equipment to the Lessor in
accordance with the terms described below.

TERMINATION:                      At the satisfactory conclusion of the Basic
                                  Term, the Lessee shall have the option to
                                  purchase all, but not less than all, of the
                                  equipment on a Lease Schedule. In this event,
                                  the Lessee will have a purchase price as
                                  follows:

                                  Forty-Five Percent (45%) of the Equipment Cost

         In the event the Lessee chooses to return the Equipment, the Lessor
will sell the Equipment. If the Net Proceeds of the sale (after expenses) are
greater than the Purchase Price, the excess proceeds will be returned to the
Lessee. If the Net Proceeds are less than the Purchase Price, the difference
between the proceeds and the Purchase Price will be paid by the Lessee to the
Lessor as a final Rental Payment then due.

LEASE RENTAL AND ASSUMPTIONS:     The rentals quoted in this TRAC Lease Proposal
                                  are based on the following assumptions and are
                                  subject to adjustment should any or all of
                                  such assumptions not be valid:

                                  1. The Lessor will be entitled to depreciate
                                  the Equipment and all of the Equipment will
                                  qualify for accelerated depreciation,
                                  utilizing a depreciable life of Three (3)
                                  years for the Equipment.

                                  2. To support the Lessor's tax treatment of
                                  the Lease as a true lease, the Lessee may be
                                  required to furnish an independent expert
                                  appraisal to the effect that at the end of the
                                  Basic Lease Term (a) the Equipment will have a
                                  fair market value of at lease twenty percent
                                  (20%) of its original cost, and (b) the
                                  Equipment will have a remaining useful life of
                                  the longer of one year or twenty percent (20%)
                                  of the originally estimated useful life of the
                                  Equipment.

                                  3. At the time the Lessor becomes the owner of
                                  the equipment, the Equipment will be new,
                                  tangible personal property and the Lessee will
                                  be deemed to be the original user thereof.

EARLY TERMINATION:                In the event that any item of Equipment is (I)
                                  damaged or destroyed to such extent that it
                                  cannot be reasonably restored to normal
                                  operating condition or (II) seized or
                                  condemned by governmental authorities (i.e.,
                                  eminent domain) or (III) lost due to theft or
                                  disappearance for a period in excess of 45
                                  days, the Lease with respect to such Equipment
                                  will terminate and the Lessee thereof will pay
                                  the Stipulated Loss Value with respect
                                  thereto.


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NET LEASE:                        The Lease will be a net lease in that the
                                  Lessee will be responsible for any and all
                                  costs and expenses in connection with the
                                  Equipment, including sales and use taxes, and
                                  any other taxes with the exception of federal
                                  and state net income taxes on the net income
                                  of the Lessor. The Lessee is also responsible
                                  for maintaining and insuring the Equipment and
                                  for all fees, insurance premiums, operations,
                                  maintenance, repair, rebuilding and other
                                  charges related to the use or possession of
                                  the Equipment.

FEDERAL TAX INDEMNIFICATION:      The Lessee will indemnify the Lessor for any
                                  loss or deduction in federal tax benefits
                                  based on the tax assumptions outlined above if
                                  such loss or reduction is caused by (i) any
                                  breach, inaccuracy or incorrectness of any
                                  representation, warranty or covenant made by
                                  the Lessee, (ii) the acts of omissions (not
                                  including the execution of documents
                                  contemplated hereby or any act or omission
                                  expressly required or expressly permitted by
                                  such documents) of the lessee, or (iii) any
                                  change in federal law with an effective date
                                  that precedes the date of acceptance of the
                                  Equipment for lease by the Lessee. If an
                                  Investment Tax Credit provision is passed,
                                  benefit will flow to Lessee at the same lease
                                  rate as indicated in this proposal.

MAINTENANCE:                      Lessee will maintain the Equipment leased by
                                  it so that it remains in good operating
                                  condition (ordinary wear and tear excepted)
                                  and in compliance with any and all applicable
                                  laws, regulations and state inspections.

DOCUMENTATION:                    This Proposal is not intended to address all
                                  the final legal and documentation matters
                                  pertaining to this Lease. The lease
                                  documentation will represent the final legal
                                  agreement. The lease documentation will be
                                  furnished by the Lessor.

CREDIT APPROVAL:                  This Proposal Letter is subject to the credit
                                  approval of SunTrust Leasing Corporation.


SUNTRUST BANK

By: /s/ TIM W. WAGNER
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Title: First Vice President
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The undersigned accepts and agrees to the lease terms of this commitment this
the 6th day of January, 2000.

USA TRUCK, INC.

By: /s/ JERRY D. ORLER
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Title:  CFO and Secretary
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