UNITED STATES
                       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):
                                October 24, 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, IA             50501
    (Address of principal executive offices)        (Zip Code)


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





<PAGE>


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
                     financial and operating results for the quarter and nine
                     months ended September 30, 2003

Item 8.     Change in Fiscal Year

            Not applicable.

Item 9.     Regulation FD Disclosure

            Not applicable.



<PAGE>


Item 10.    Amendments to the Registrant's Code of Ethics, or Waiver of a
            Provision of the Code of Ethics

            Not applicable.

Item 11.    Temporary Suspension of Trading Under Registrant's Employee
            Benefit Plans

            Not applicable.

Item 12.    Results of Operations and Financial Condition

     On October 24, 2003, Smithway Motor Xpress Corp., a Nevada corporation (the
"Company"),  issued a press release (the "Press Release")  announcing  financial
and operating  results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2003.
A copy of the Press Release is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1.

     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.

     The  information  in  this  report  and  the  exhibit  hereto  may  contain
"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.


<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: October 28, 2003        By: /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  financial and
          operating  results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30,
          2003
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "smxform8k.txt", "description": "FORM 8-K OCT 2003 SMITHWAY", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4895}]
{"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": "03963620"}, "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"}}
UNITED STATES
                       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):
                                October 24, 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, IA             50501
    (Address of principal executive offices)        (Zip Code)

               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (515) 576-7418
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
                     financial and operating results for the quarter and nine
                     months ended September 30, 2003

Item 8.     Change in Fiscal Year

            Not applicable.

Item 9.     Regulation FD Disclosure

            Not applicable.
Item 10.    Amendments to the Registrant's Code of Ethics, or Waiver of a
            Provision of the Code of Ethics

            Not applicable.

Item 11.    Temporary Suspension of Trading Under Registrant's Employee
            Benefit Plans

            Not applicable.

Item 12.    Results of Operations and Financial Condition

     On October 24, 2003, Smithway Motor Xpress Corp., a Nevada corporation (the
"Company"),  issued a press release (the "Press Release")  announcing  financial
and operating  results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2003.
A copy of the Press Release is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1.

     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.

     The  information  in  this  report  and  the  exhibit  hereto  may  contain
"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: October 28, 2003        By: /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  financial and
          operating  results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30,
          2003