Exhibit 5



                                December 8, 1999



Simon Transportation Services Inc.
5175 West 2100 South
West Valley City, Utah  84120-1252

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         Scudder  Law  Firm,   P.C.  has  served  as  legal   counsel  to  Simon
Transportation  Services  Inc., a Nevada  corporation  (the  "Company"),  in the
preparation  and filing  with the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  of the
Company=s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement"). The
Registration  Statement  relates to the  registration of shares of the Company's
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Shares"),  which are to be
offered under the Company's 1998 Non-Officer  Incentive Stock Plan (the "Plan").
It is our opinion that:

         1.       The  Company is a validly organized  and existing  corporation
under the laws of the State of Nevada.

         2. All necessary  corporate action has been duly taken to authorize the
establishment  of the Plan,  the sale of the  Shares  under  the  Plan,  and the
registration  of the Shares  covered  by the  Registration  Statement  under the
Securities Act of 1933.

         3. Any  Shares  issued  and paid for  under  the Plan  will be  legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable  shares of the Class A Common Stock of the
Company.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and
Exchange Commission in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement.

                                                     Very truly yours,

                                                     SCUDDER LAW FIRM, P.C.

                                                     By:     /s/ Mark A. Scudder
                                                              Mark A. Scudder