Exhibit 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

     I, David R. Parker, certify that:

     1. I have reviewed this quarterly  report on Form 10-Q for the period ended
June 30, 2004, of Covenant Transport, Inc.;

     2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 quarterly
report;

     3. Based on my knowledge,  the financial  statements,  and other  financial
information  included in this quarterly  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 quarterly report;

     4. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I are  responsible for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) 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 quarterly report is
     being prepared;

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

          c. disclosed in this quarterly  report any change in the  registrant's
     internal  control  over  financial   reporting  that  occurred  during  the
     registrant's most recent 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: August 4, 2004                /s/ David R. Parker
                                    -----------------------------------
                                    David R. Parker
                                    Chief Executive Officer