Covenant Transport Receives 2009 SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Covenant Transport was
among seven entities in the southeast and 37 in the nation to be recognized an
Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
SmartWay Transport Partnership for its leadership in conserving energy and
lowering greenhouse gas emissions from its transportation and freight
activities. The awards were announced October 6, 2009 at the American
Trucking Association's Annual Management Conference & Exhibit in Las Vegas,
Nevada. This is Covenant's second consecutive SmartWay Environmental
Excellence Award.

Operating out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Covenant Transport, Inc. provides
truckload for-hire and dedicated contract transportation. All of Covenant's
tractors are equipped with aerodynamic packages including integrated cab roof
fairings, cab side fairings, and aerodynamic mirrors. These packages
contributed to CO2 savings of 69,568 tons in 2008. All Covenant tractors use
low friction engine and drive train lubricant, saving an additional 15,565
tons of CO2 and nearly 1.5 million gallons of fuel. As its fleet turned over
in 2008, Covenant began investing in SmartWay-certified tractors and trailers,
installing long term idle reductions technologies and specifying fuel
efficient tires, saving an estimated 2 million gallons of fuel. In addition
to utilizing 804 trucks with team drivers, PrePass and truck stop
electrification, this equipment helped the company save over 45,000 tons of
CO2 and 21,900 tons of PM in 2008. In total, Covenant saved nearly 28 million
gallons of fuel and 307,368 tons of CO2.

Joey Hogan, President of Covenant Transport, stated, "Covenant is fully
committed to the SmartWay program, and we believe it is incumbent on our
company to lead by example the charge in our industry to become better
environmental stewards. Participation in the program is very valuable and
rewarding to our associates and drivers. Through the fleet model
spreadsheets, they can see the direct impact (in gallons and CO2 reduction)
that technology and procedures they have implemented have had in reducing
overall fuel consumption and emissions. It takes a coordinated effort from
both our internal support staff and our drivers to produce such an
accomplishment. I want to thank all of the associates at Covenant, as it is
their diligent planning and effort that has produced the company's second
consecutive SmartWay Excellence Award.

"We also want to congratulate our peer transportation providers and shippers
who participate in the program. The SmartWay Transport Partner effort has
been growing over the past few years, and we want to encourage others to join.
We hope those who are not participating currently will take the initiative to
do so in 2010. It is good for the environment and also good for business."

"EPA's SmartWay partnership helps freight companies go the extra mile by
saving fuel and money, while cutting air pollution," said Gina McCarthy,
assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "Within our
nation's hard-working freight sector, SmartWay Excellence Award winners have
stepped up to help protect our health, climate and environment."

EPA launched SmartWay in 2004 to help improve the freight industry's
environmental performance. Today more than 2,000 organizations participate,
ranging from large multi-national trucking fleets, several rail companies,
many well-known retail and commercial shippers, as well as small "mom and pop"
trucking companies. Through their SmartWay participation, these companies
both calculate and adopt strategies for lowering their transportation energy
use and CO2 emissions. EPA provides technical support, including tools to
evaluate options for lowering fuel use and emissions, and help in locating
financing for the purchase of environmental and fuel saving technology. In
2009, the Partnership projects that it will eliminate six million tons of CO2
and conserve more than 540 million gallons of diesel fuel, a savings of at
least $1.3 billion a year in fuel costs.

For more information about SmartWay visit: www.epa.gov/smartway or call (734)
214-4767.

For more information about the 2009 SmartWay Award recipients, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/smartway/transport/partner-resources/awards-2009.htm

Covenant Transportation Group, Inc. is the holding company for several
transportation providers that offer premium transportation services for
customers throughout the United States. The consolidated group includes
operations from Covenant Transport and Covenant Transport Solutions of
Chattanooga, Tennessee; Southern Refrigerated Transport of Texarkana,
Arkansas; and Star Transportation of Nashville, Tennessee. The group operates
one of the fifteen largest fleets in North America as measured by revenue. The
Company's Class A common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under
the symbol, "CVTI".

SOURCE Covenant Transport

John Arthur Daniel, VP, Marketing, Covenant Transport, 1-800-721-5202 x3348,
danjoh@covenanttransport.com, or Phyllis Williams, Senior Manager, Marketing,
Covenant Transport, 1-800-721-5202 x3847, ctv@covenanttransport.com