------------------------------

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                        ------------------------------
 
                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                        ------------------------------


                              TRANSIT GROUP, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

                                                                            
            FLORIDA                        2859 PACES FERRY ROAD                       59-2576629
- -------------------------------                  SUITE 1740                      ----------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of            ATLANTA, GEORGIA  30339                  (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)   ------------------------------------------      Identification Number)
                                  (Address of principal executive offices)
 
 

                           1998 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                                      OF
                              TRANSIT GROUP, INC.

                       1998 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              TRANSIT GROUP, INC.
 
                           (Full title of the plans)
                      -----------------------------------

                               PHILIP A. BELYEW
                     PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                              TRANSIT GROUP, INC.
                       2859 PACES FERRY ROAD, SUITE 1740
                            ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30339
                                (770) 444-0240
          (Name, address and telephone number, including area code, 
                             of agent for service)

                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                        -------------------------------


                                                         PROPOSED 
                                          PROPOSED       MAXIMUM    
                            AMOUNT         MAXIMUM      AGGREGATE      AMOUNT OF
TITLE OF SECURITIES         TO BE      OFFERING PRICE    OFFERING    REGISTRATION
TO BE REGISTERED          REGISTERED    PER SHARE(1)     PRICE(1)       FEE(1)
- -----------------------   ----------   --------------   ----------   ------------
                                                         
Common Stock, par value                                             
 $.01 per share           3,500,000        $5.00       $17,500,000      $4,865


(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
     pursuant to Rule 457(h)(1) and 457(c), the last sale price of $5.00
     reported on December 10, 1998.

                        ------------------------------

 
                                 PART II

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.
- ------   --------------------------------------- 

     The following documents filed by Transit Group, Inc. (the "Company") with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") are incorporated
herein by reference:

          (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year
     ended December 31, 1997, filed with the Commission on March 31, 1998.

          (b) The Company's Current Reports on Form 8-K and Form 8-K/A dated
     January 13, 1998, February 10, 1998, March 16, 1998, May 18, 1998, June 26,
     1998, July 20, 1998, July 31, 1998 and August 31, 1998;

          (c) The Company's Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended March 31, 1998,
     filed with the Commission on May 14, 1998;

          (d) The Company's Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended June 30, 1998,
     filed with the Commission on August 13, 1998;

          (e)  The Company's Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended September 30,
     1998, filed with the Commission on November 13, 1998;

          (f)  The Company's Form 10-QSB/A, filed with the Commission on
     February 10, 1998, amending the Company's Form 10-QSB for the quarter ended
     September 30, 1997; and

          (g) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
     Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") since the
     end of the period referred to in (a), above.

     All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or
which deregisters all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the
filing of such documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
- ------   ------------------------- 

     The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 30,000,000 shares
of common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), and 5,000,000
shares of preferred stock, no par value per share (the "Preferred Stock").  The
holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record
on all matters submitted to the vote of shareholders.  In general, the
affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by
proxy at a shareholders' meeting entitled to vote on the subject matter is
required for approval of corporate actions.  However, the affirmative vote of
the holders of 51% of the outstanding shares of all classes of stock entitled to
vote is required for (a) amendment, alteration, change or repeal of any
provision of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company; (b) reorganization,
merger or consolidation of the Company; (c) sale, lease or exchange of a major
portion of the property or assets of the Company; or (d) dissolution of the
Company.  The holders of Common Stock do not have cumulative voting rights.
Subject to any preferential rights held by holders of the Preferred Stock, the
holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends as may be
declared from time to time by the Company Board of Directors out of funds
legally available therefor.  In the event of the liquidation, dissolution or
winding up of the Company, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to share
ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation
preference of outstanding Preferred Stock, if any.  Holders of Common Stock do
not have preemptive, conversion or redemption rights.

                                     II-1

 
ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
- ------   -------------------------------------- 

     The legality of the securities offered hereby has been passed upon by the
firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, counsel to the Company.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
- ------   ----------------------------------------- 

     Section 607.0850 of the Florida Business Corporation Act (the "Act")
permits, and in some cases requires, the Company as a Florida corporation to
indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the Company, or any person
serving at the request of the Company in any such capacity with respect to
another entity, against certain expenses and liabilities incurred as a party to
any proceeding, including, among others, a proceeding under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), brought against such person by
reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee, or
agent of the Company or is or was serving in such capacity with respect to
another entity at the request of the Company.  With respect to actions, other
than in the right of the Company, such indemnification is permitted if such
person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be
in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Company, and with respect to
any criminal action or proceeding, if such person had no reasonable cause to
believe his or her conduct was unlawful.  Termination of any such action by
judgment, order, settlement or conviction or a plea of nolo contendere, or its
equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that such person did not
act in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not
opposed to, the best interests of the Company, or with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct
was unlawful.

     With respect to any action threatened, pending or completed in the right of
the Company to procure a judgment in its favor against any such person, the
Company may indemnify any such person against expenses actually and reasonably
incurred by him or her in connection with the defense or settlement of such
action or suit, including the appeal thereof, if he or she acted in good faith
and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the
best interests of the Company, except that no indemnification shall be made in
respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which any such person shall have
been adjudged to be liable for negligence or misconduct in the performance of
his or her duties to the Company unless the court in which the action was
brought determines that despite the adjudication of liability, but in view of
all the circumstances in the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled
to indemnity for such expenses.

     Section 607.0850 of the Act also provides that if any such person has been
successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or
proceeding, whether brought in the right of the Company or otherwise, such
person shall be indemnified against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by
him or her in connection therewith.

     If any director or officer does not succeed upon the merits or otherwise in
defense of an action, suit or proceeding, then unless pursuant to a
determination made by a court, indemnification by the Company shall be made only
as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of
the director or officer is proper because he or she has met the applicable
standard of conduct. Any such determination may be made:

          (a) By the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum
     consisting of Directors who are not parties to such action, suit, or
     proceeding;

          (b) If such a quorum is not obtainable or, even if obtainable, by a
     majority vote of a committee duly designated by the Board of Directors (in
     which Directors who are parties may participate) consisting solely of two
     or more Directors not at the time parties to the proceeding;

          (c) By independent legal counsel selected by the Board of Directors
     prescribed in paragraph (a) or the committee prescribed in paragraph (b);
     or if a quorum of the Directors cannot be obtained for paragraph (a) or the
     committee cannot be designated under paragraph (b) selected by a majority
     vote of the full Board of Directors (in which Directors who are parties may
     participate); or

                                     II-2

 
          (d) By the shareholders by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of
     shareholders who were not parties to the proceeding or, if no such quorum
     is obtainable, by a majority vote of shareholders who were not parties to
     such proceedings.

     The indemnification provisions of the Company's Articles of Incorporation
and Bylaws are essentially identical to those set forth above, except that the
Company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws require, rather than permit, the
Company to advance expenses under the circumstances for such payments described
above.  In addition, the Company's Bylaws provide that if any expenses or other
amounts are paid by way of indemnification other than by court order or action
by the shareholders or by an insurance carrier pursuant to insurance maintained
by the Company, then the Company shall, not later than the time of delivery to
shareholders of a written notice of the next annual meeting of shareholders
(unless such meeting is held within three months from the date of such payment)
and, in any event, within fifteen (15) months from the date of such payment,
deliver either personally or by United States mail to each shareholder of record
entitled to vote for the election of Directors a statement specifying the
persons paid, the amounts paid, and the nature and status (at the time of such
payment) of the litigation or threatened litigation.

     Section 607.0850 of the Act also contains a provision authorizing
corporations to purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of its
Directors and officers. For some years the Company has maintained an insurance
policy which insures directors and officers of the Company against amounts the
director or officer is obligated to pay in respect of his legal liability,
whether actual or asserted, for any negligent act, any error, any omission or
any breach of duty which, subject to the applicable limits and terms of the
policy, include damages, judgments, settlements, costs of investigation, and
costs, charges and expenses incurred in the defense of actions, suits, or
proceedings or appeals thereto, subject to the exceptions, limitations and
conditions set forth in the policy.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.
- ------   ----------------------------------- 

          Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.
- ------   -------- 

          The following exhibits are filed as a part of this Registration
Statement:

         NUMBER                        DESCRIPTION
         ------                        -----------

           5        Opinion of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, as to the
                    legality of the Common Stock being registered.

          23.1      Consent of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, which is
                    contained in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.

          23.2      Consent of Price Waterhouse, LLP.

          23.3      Consent of Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP.

          23.4      Consent of Davie, Kaplan, Chapman & Braverman, P.C.

          24        Power of Attorney.  (See signature page to the Registration
                    Statement.)

          99.1      1998 Incentive Stock Option Plan of Transit Group, Inc.

          99.2      1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan of Transit Group, Inc.

                                     II-3

 
ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.
- ------   ------------ 

(a)  The Company hereby undertakes:

     (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
          post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

          (i)    To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
                 Securities Act;

          (ii)   To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
                 the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most
                 recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or
                 in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                 information set forth in the Registration Statement;

          (iii)  To include any material information with respect to the plan of
                 distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration
                 Statement or any material change to such information in the
                 Registration Statement;

     provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if
     --------  -------                                                          
     the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by
     those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished
     to the Commission by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of
     the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration
     Statement.

     (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
          Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
          be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
          therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
          deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

     (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
          of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
          termination of the offering.

(b)  The Company hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
     liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Company's annual
     report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that
     is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed
     to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
     therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed
     to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
     may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
     Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company has
     been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is
     against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
     unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
     liabilities (other than the payment by the Company of expenses incurred or
     paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company in the
     successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
     director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities
     being registered, the Company will, unless in the opinion of its counsel
     the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
     appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
     against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be
     governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                     II-4

 
                                 SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Transit
Group, Inc. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in unincorporated Cobb County, State of Georgia, this 11th day
of December, 1998.


                                        TRANSIT GROUP, INC.


                                        By: /s/ Philip A. Belyew
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Philip A. Belyew
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer

                                 POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that each person whose signature appears on
the signature pages to this Registration Statement constitutes and appoints
Philip A. Belyew and Wayne N. Nellums and each of them, his or her true and
lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for the undersigned, and in his or her name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective
amendments, to this Registration Statement, to make such changes in the
Registration Statement as such attorneys-in-fact deems appropriate to file the
same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and
agents and each of them, full power and authority to do so and perform each and
every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and
agents or either of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on December 11, 1998.

 
/s/ Philip A. Belyew                     /s/ Wayne N. Nellums
- -----------------------------------      -----------------------------------
Name:  Philip A. Belyew                  Name: Wayne N. Nellums
Title: President, Chief Executive        Title: Executive Vice President and 
       Officer (principal executive             Chief Financial Officer
       officer) and Director

/s/ T. Wayne Davis                       /s/ Derek E. Dewan
- -----------------------------------      -----------------------------------
Name: T. Wayne Davis                     Name: Derek E. Dewan
Title: Chairman                          Title: Director
 
/s/ Carroll L. Fulmer                    /s/ Robert R. Hermann, Jr.
- -----------------------------------      -----------------------------------
Name: Carroll L. Fulmer                  Name: Robert R. Hermann, Jr.
Title: Director                          Title: Director
 
/s/ Ford G. Pearson
- -----------------------------------      
Name: Ford G. Pearson
Title: Director

                                     II-5

 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
                                      TO
                     REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8 OF
                              TRANSIT GROUP, INC.

NUMBER     DESCRIPTION
- ------     -----------

 5         Opinion of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, as to the legality
           of the Common Stock being registered.

23.1       Consent of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, which is
           contained in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.

23.2       Consent of Price Waterhouse, LLP.

23.3       Consent of Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP

23.4       Consent of Davie, Kaplan, Chapman & Braverman, P.C.

24         Power of Attorney.  (See signature page to the Registration
           Statement.)

99.1       1998 Incentive Stock Option Plan of Transit Group, Inc.

99.2       1998 Employee Stock Option Plan of Transit Group, Inc.

                                     II-6