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):
                                 August 14, 2002
                    ----------------------------------------

                           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)       (IRS employer
  of incorporation or                                            identification
     organization)                                                 number)

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

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


ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
    (c) Exhibits.
   EXHIBIT
   NUMBER     EXHIBIT TITLE

    99.1      Certification  pursuant  to 18 U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as adopted
              pursuant  to Section  906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by
              the Chief Executive Officer.

    99.2      Certification  pursuant  to 18 U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as adopted
              pursuant  to Section  906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by
              the Chief Financial Officer.

<PAGE>
ITEM 9. REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

     On August 14, 2002,  Smithway Motor Xpress Corp., a Nevada corporation (the
"Company"),  filed its Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June
30,  2002,  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.  Accompanying  the
Quarterly Report  submission as  correspondence  were the  certifications of the
Company's  Chief  Executive  Officer,  William  G.  Smith,  and Chief  Financial
Officer,  G. Larry Owens,  pursuant to Section 906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002, to be codified at 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

     The  certifications  attached as exhibits hereto are being furnished solely
pursuant  to  Section  906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 and are not being
filed as part of the  Company's  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the  quarter
ended June 30,  2002,  or as a separate  disclosure  document.  The  information
included in this Current Report on Form 8-K  (including the exhibits  hereto) is
furnished  pursuant  to Item 9 and shall not be  deemed  to be  "filed"  for the
purposes of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  or
otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.




<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

     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:  August 14, 2002     By:  /s/ G. Larry Owens
                              -------------------------
                              G. Larry Owens, Executive Vice
                              President, Chief Operating Officer, and
                              Chief Financial Officer


<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

   99.1   Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant
          to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by the Chief
          Executive Officer.

   99.2   Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant
          to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by the Chief
          Financial Officer.
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "smxform8k.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K AUGUST 2002 SMITHWAY", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4155}]
{"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": "02734705"}, "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):
                                 August 14, 2002
                    ----------------------------------------

                           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)       (IRS employer
  of incorporation or                                            identification
     organization)                                                 number)

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

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

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
    (c) Exhibits.
   EXHIBIT
   NUMBER     EXHIBIT TITLE

    99.1      Certification  pursuant  to 18 U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as adopted
              pursuant  to Section  906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by
              the Chief Executive Officer.

    99.2      Certification  pursuant  to 18 U.S.C.  Section  1350,  as adopted
              pursuant  to Section  906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by
              the Chief Financial Officer.
ITEM 9. REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.

     On August 14, 2002,  Smithway Motor Xpress Corp., a Nevada corporation (the
"Company"),  filed its Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June
30,  2002,  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.  Accompanying  the
Quarterly Report  submission as  correspondence  were the  certifications of the
Company's  Chief  Executive  Officer,  William  G.  Smith,  and Chief  Financial
Officer,  G. Larry Owens,  pursuant to Section 906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002, to be codified at 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

     The  certifications  attached as exhibits hereto are being furnished solely
pursuant  to  Section  906 of the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act of 2002 and are not being
filed as part of the  Company's  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q for the  quarter
ended June 30,  2002,  or as a separate  disclosure  document.  The  information
included in this Current Report on Form 8-K  (including the exhibits  hereto) is
furnished  pursuant  to Item 9 and shall not be  deemed  to be  "filed"  for the
purposes of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  or
otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2)
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
SIGNATURES

     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:  August 14, 2002     By:  /s/ G. Larry Owens
                              -------------------------
                              G. Larry Owens, Executive Vice
                              President, Chief Operating Officer, and
                              Chief Financial Officer
EXHIBIT INDEX

   99.1   Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant
          to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by the Chief
          Executive Officer.

   99.2   Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant
          to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by the Chief
          Financial Officer.