SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
               __________________________________________________

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                 April 18, 2003
               __________________________________________________

                           SMITHWAY MOTOR XPRESS CORP.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


         Nevada                      000-20793                 42-1433844
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission file Number)     (I.R.S. Employer
       of incorporation)                                    Identification No.)


                                2031 Quail Avenue
                             Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
                  (Address, including zip code, of registrant's
                           principal executive office)


                                 (515) 576-7418
                         (Registrant's telephone number,
                              including area code)


ITEM 1.  CHANGES IN CONTROL OF REGISTRANT

         Not applicable.

ITEM 2.  ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF ASSETS

         Not applicable.

ITEM 3.  BANKRUPTCY OR RECEIVERSHIP

         Not applicable.

ITEM 4.  CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

         Not applicable.

<PAGE>
ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

         Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  RESIGNATIONS OF REGISTRANT'S DIRECTORS

         Not applicable.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

         (c) Exhibits.

         EXHIBIT
         NUMBER        EXHIBIT TITLE
_______________________________________________________________________________

          99.1         Smithway Motor Xpress Corp. press release announcing
                       fourth quarter and year end results, filing of annual
                       report on Form 10-K, amendments to financing
                       arrangements, and first quarter expectations

ITEM 8.  CHANGE IN FISCAL YEAR

         Not applicable.

ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

     The following  information  regarding  the press release of Smithway  Motor
Xpress Corp.  (the  "Company")  announcing  fourth quarter and year end results,
filing of annual report on Form 10-K, amendments to financing arrangements,  and
first quarter  expectations  is intended to be furnished under Item 12, "Results
of Operations and Financial  Condition," but is instead being furnished pursuant
to Item 9 in  accordance  with the  interim  guidance  contained  in  Securities
Exchange  Commission  Release No.  33-8216.  The  information  contained in this
report and the  exhibit  hereto  shall not be deemed  "filed"  for  purposes  of
Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  as amended (the  "Exchange
Act"),  or  incorporated  by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by
specific reference in such a filing.

     On April 18, 2003, the Company issued a press release (the "Press Release")
announcing fourth quarter and year end results,  filing of annual report on Form
10-K, amendments to financing  arrangements,  and first quarter expectations.  A
copy of the Press Release is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1.

     The information herein contains "forward-looking  statements" that are made
pursuant to the  safe-harbor  provisions  of the Private  Securities  Litigation
Reform Act of

<PAGE>
1995 and  otherwise  may be  protected.  Such  statements  are made based on the
current beliefs and expectations of the Company's  management and are subject to
significant  risks and  uncertainties.  Actual  results  may  differ  from those
anticipated by forward-looking statements.  Please refer to the Company's Annual
Report  on Form  10-K  and  other  filings  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission for information  concerning risks,  uncertainties,  and other factors
that may affect future results.



<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                               SMITHWAY MOTOR XPRESS CORP.


Date: April 21, 2003             /s/ G. Larry Owens
                               --------------------------------------
                               G. Larry Owens
                               Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative
                               Officer, and Chief Financial Officer


<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

  99.1    Smithway Motor Xpress Corp. press release announcing fourth quarter
          and year end results, filing of annual report on Form 10-K,
          amendments to financing arrangements, and first quarter expectations
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "smxform8k.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K SMITHWAY MOTOR APRIL 2003", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5184}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SMITHWAY MOTOR XPRESS CORP", "cik": "0000941914", "assigned-sic": "4213", "irs-number": "421433844", "state-of-incorporation": "NV", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-20793", "film-number": "03657236"}, "business-address": {"street1": "2031 QUAIL AVENUE", "city": "FORT DODGE", "state": "IA", "zip": "50501", "phone": "5155767418"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "2031 QUAIL AVENUE", "city": "FORT DODGE", "state": "IA", "zip": "50501"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
               __________________________________________________

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                 April 18, 2003
               __________________________________________________

                           SMITHWAY MOTOR XPRESS CORP.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         Nevada                      000-20793                 42-1433844
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission file Number)     (I.R.S. Employer
       of incorporation)                                    Identification No.)

                                2031 Quail Avenue
                             Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
                  (Address, including zip code, of registrant's
                           principal executive office)

                                 (515) 576-7418
                         (Registrant's telephone number,
                              including area code)

ITEM 1.  CHANGES IN CONTROL OF REGISTRANT

         Not applicable.

ITEM 2.  ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF ASSETS

         Not applicable.

ITEM 3.  BANKRUPTCY OR RECEIVERSHIP

         Not applicable.

ITEM 4.  CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

         Not applicable.
ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

         Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  RESIGNATIONS OF REGISTRANT'S DIRECTORS

         Not applicable.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

         (c) Exhibits.

         EXHIBIT
         NUMBER        EXHIBIT TITLE
_______________________________________________________________________________

          99.1         Smithway Motor Xpress Corp. press release announcing
                       fourth quarter and year end results, filing of annual
                       report on Form 10-K, amendments to financing
                       arrangements, and first quarter expectations

ITEM 8.  CHANGE IN FISCAL YEAR

         Not applicable.

ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

     The following  information  regarding  the press release of Smithway  Motor
Xpress Corp.  (the  "Company")  announcing  fourth quarter and year end results,
filing of annual report on Form 10-K, amendments to financing arrangements,  and
first quarter  expectations  is intended to be furnished under Item 12, "Results
of Operations and Financial  Condition," but is instead being furnished pursuant
to Item 9 in  accordance  with the  interim  guidance  contained  in  Securities
Exchange  Commission  Release No.  33-8216.  The  information  contained in this
report and the  exhibit  hereto  shall not be deemed  "filed"  for  purposes  of
Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  as amended (the  "Exchange
Act"),  or  incorporated  by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by
specific reference in such a filing.

     On April 18, 2003, the Company issued a press release (the "Press Release")
announcing fourth quarter and year end results,  filing of annual report on Form
10-K, amendments to financing  arrangements,  and first quarter expectations.  A
copy of the Press Release is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1.

     The information herein contains "forward-looking  statements" that are made
pursuant to the  safe-harbor  provisions  of the Private  Securities  Litigation
Reform Act of
1995 and  otherwise  may be  protected.  Such  statements  are made based on the
current beliefs and expectations of the Company's  management and are subject to
significant  risks and  uncertainties.  Actual  results  may  differ  from those
anticipated by forward-looking statements.  Please refer to the Company's Annual
Report  on Form  10-K  and  other  filings  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission for information  concerning risks,  uncertainties,  and other factors
that may affect future results.
SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                               SMITHWAY MOTOR XPRESS CORP.

Date: April 21, 2003             /s/ G. Larry Owens
                               --------------------------------------
                               G. Larry Owens
                               Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative
                               Officer, and Chief Financial Officer
EXHIBIT INDEX

  99.1    Smithway Motor Xpress Corp. press release announcing fourth quarter
          and year end results, filing of annual report on Form 10-K,
          amendments to financing arrangements, and first quarter expectations