SIMON TRANSPORTATION REPORTS FILING OF PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (PR Newswire) October 30, 2001 ----- Simon Transportation
Services Inc. (Nasdaq/NMS: SIMN) announced today that it has filed a preliminary
proxy statement with the SEC in connection with a special meeting of
stockholders that will be held to approve certain equity investments in the
Company by entities related to Jerry Moyes and his family.

Chief Executive Officer Jon Isaacson stated, "As previously announced, entities
related to Jerry Moyes and his family have made a total of approximately $8.8
million in equity investments in the Company during the quarters ended June 30,
2001, and September 30, 2001. In accordance with Nasdaq requirements, the
Company will hold a special meeting of stockholders to approve the issuance to
the Moyes Partnership of warrants to Purchase Series I Preferred Shares and the
issuance to a corporation controlled by Jerry Moyes of Series II Preferred
Shares and warrants to purchase Series II Preferred Shares. We fully expect
approval of the investments, which have provided the Company with an important
source of liquidity."

The Company also announced today that it is currently in negotiations with its
equipment lessors to restructure the terms of its lease obligations. Additional
information concerning these negotiations is provided in the Company's
preliminary proxy statement filed with the SEC.

Simon Transportation is a truckload carrier providing nationwide, predominantly
temperature-controlled transportation services for major shippers. The Company's
Class A Common Stock trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol
"SIMN".

                        For additional information contact:
                    Robert T. Goates, Chief Financial Officer
                                 (801) 924-7000

Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release,
statements by the Company in reports to its stockholders and public filings, and
oral public statements by Company representatives, contain forward-looking
statements that involve risk, assumptions, and uncertainties that are difficult
to predict. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "project," "may,"
"could," "expects," "likely," variations of these words, and similar
expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such
statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company's
management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The Company
claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements
contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for all
forward-looking statements. The Company's actual results could differ materially
from those discussed herein. Without limitation, factors that could cause or
contribute to such differences include economic recessions or downturns in
customers' business cycles, excessive increases in capacity within truckload
markets, surplus inventories, decreased demand for transportation services
offered by the Company, increases or rapid fluctuations in inflation, interest
rates, fuel prices and fuel hedging, the availability and costs of attracting
and retaining qualified drivers and owner-operators, increases in insurance
premiums and deductible amounts relating to accident, cargo, workers'
compensation, health, and other claims, seasonal factors such as harsh weather
conditions that increase operating costs, the resale value of used equipment,
the Company's ability to access adequate sources of capital, and the ability to
negotiate, consummate, and integrate acquisitions. Readers should review and
consider the various disclosures made by the Company in this press release and
in its reports to its stockholders and periodic reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.

This press release is for information purposes only and is not a solicitation of
proxies. The Company has filed with the SEC a preliminary proxy statement on
Schedule 14A and will file a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A prior to
distributing proxy materials to stockholders. The solicitation of proxies will
be made solely by the proxy statement that will be mailed to stockholders.
STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD READ THE PROXY STATEMENT THAT WILL BE MAILED TO
STOCKHOLDERS. THE PROXY STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT
STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER. Stockholders can obtain a free copy of the proxy
statement, as well as other filings containing information about the Company,
without charge, at the SEC's internet site (http://www.sec.gov).