FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                   TRISM, INC. ADOPTS STOCKHOLDERS RIGHTS PLAN

          KENNESAW, GEORGIA, April 27, 2001-- TRISM, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board:
TSMX.OB) announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted a stockholders
rights plan. The Rights Plan is designed to assure that all of TRISM's
securityholders are offered a full and fair price in the event a potential
acquiror seeks to gain control of TRISM and to protect securityholders from
attempts to acquire effective control through open market and/or private
purchases of common stock without paying a fair control premium to either
selling or remaining stockholders.

          As previously announced, the Board has retained the Carreden Group
Inc., a New York investment banking firm, to assist TRISM in pursuing strategic
alternatives. With the assistance of the Carreden Group, TRISM is currently in
preliminary discussions with third parties who have expressed an interest in
acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of TRISM. Carreden Group is
also exploring the refinancing of TRISM's existing credit facility.

          Recently, a group led by Edward McCormick, formerly the Chairman of
the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of TRISM, has claimed to have
entered into an agreement to acquire the shares of common stock and Senior
Subordinated Notes due 2005 of TRISM held by a financial institution that is
TRISM's largest stockholder and Noteholder. Mr. McCormick's group has also
requested that the current Board of Directors appoint designees of the group as
Directors who would then constitute a majority of the members of an enlarged
Board of Directors which would then appoint Mr. McCormick as the CEO of TRISM.
TRISM does not know whether the group has in fact acquired any of its
securities, but believes that the adoption of the Rights Plan is an appropriate
step to protect all stockholders and Noteholders from the group's attempt to
acquire control of TRISM without proposing a transaction in which all
stockholders and Noteholders could participate. The Carreden Group has invited
Mr. McCormick's group to participate on equivalent terms in its ongoing process
of seeking proposals from third parties to acquire TRISM. The Board believes
that the Rights Plan will facilitate the orderly conduct of the process being
undertaken by the Carreden Group.

          Under the terms of the Rights Plan, stockholders of record as of April
27, 2001 will receive a dividend distribution of one common stock purchase right
for each outstanding TRISM share. As the Rights are not initially exercisable,
no Rights Certificates will be issued at this time.

          The Rights will become exercisable for shares of common stock of TRISM
only if a person or group (other than those required to report ownership on
Schedule 13G) acquires beneficial ownership of 30% or more of TRISM's
outstanding common stock or commences a tender or exchange offer for 30% or more
of the common stock.

          Each Right will initially entitle the holder to purchase one
newly-issued share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.50 per share.
However, if any Person becomes the beneficial owner of 30% or more of TRISM's
common stock (except through a tender or exchange offer for all shares which the
Board deems to be fair and otherwise in the best interest of TRISM and its
stockholders) and the Board does not within ten days thereafter (subject to
extension) redeem the Rights, each Right not owned by such person or related
parties will then enable its holder to purchase, at the Right's then current
exercise price, TRISM common stock (or, in certain circumstances as determined
by the Board, a combination of cash, property, common stock or other securities)
having a value of twice the Right's purchase price.

          Under certain circumstances, if TRISM is acquired in a merger or
similar transaction with another person, or sells more than 50% of its assets,
earning power or cash flow to another entity, each Right that has not previously
been exercised will entitle its holder to purchase, at the Right's then current
exercise price, common stock of such other entity having a value of twice the
Right's exercise price.

          TRISM will generally be entitled to redeem the Rights at $.001 per
right at any time until ten days (subject to extension) following a public
announcement that a 30% position has been acquired.

          Details of the Stockholders Rights Plan are outlined in a letter which
will be mailed to all stockholders and in filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.

          TRISM, Inc. (http://www.trism.com ), headquartered in Kennesaw, GA.,
is the nation's leading transportation company specializing in the
transportation of heavy weight, over-dimensional, environmental, and secured
materials. TRISM operates a pool of more than 1,700 tractors and over 4,000
trailers throughout North America. The multiple specialized equipment in these
fleets is designed to meet customers' varied transportation requirements.