CERTIFICATION

     I, David R. Parker, certify that:

     1. I have  reviewed  this annual  report on Form 10-K for the annual period
ended December 31, 2003, of Covenant Transport, Inc.;

     2. Based on my  knowledge,  this annual  report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements
were made,  not  misleading  with  respect to the period  covered by this annual
report;

     3. Based on my knowledge,  the financial  statements,  and other  financial
information  included  in this annual  report,  fairly  present in all  material
respects the financial condition,  results of operations,  and cash flows of the
registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

     4. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I are  responsible for
establishing  and  maintaining   disclosure  controls  and  procedures  for  the
registrant and we have:

          a. designed such disclosure  controls and  procedures,  or caused such
     disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to
     ensure that material information relating to the registrant,  including its
     consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made  known to us by  others  within  those
     entities,  particularly  during the period in which this  annual  report is
     being prepared;

          b. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
     and  procedures and presented in this annual report our  conclusions  about
     the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures,  as of the end
     of the period covered by this annual report based on such evaluation; and

          c.  disclosed  in this  annual  report any change in the  registrant's
     internal  control  over  financial   reporting  that  occurred  during  the
     registrant's  fourth fiscal  quarter that has  materially  affected,  or is
     reasonably likely to materially affect,  the registrant's  internal control
     over financial reporting; and

     5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,  to the
registrant's  auditors  and the audit  committee  of the  registrant's  board of
directors:

          a. all significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
     or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which are
     reasonably  likely to adversely affect the registrant's  ability to record,
     process, summarize, and report financial information; and

          b. any fraud,  whether or not material,  that  involves  management or
     other employees who have a significant  role in the  registrant's  internal
     control over financial reporting.


Date: March 11, 2004                  /s/ David R. Parker
                                    ----------------------------------------
                                    David R. Parker
                                    Chief Executive Officer