Sec Form 4 Filing - STEPHENS ROBERT B JR @ COVENANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP INC - 2009-03-31

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person STEPHENS ROBERT B JR 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol COVENANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP INC [ CVTI] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner X __ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) SR VP AND GM OF SUBSIDIARY (Last) (First) (Middle) 400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 03/31/2009 (Street) CHATTANOOGA, TN37419 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) __ X __ Form filed by One Reporting Person _____ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Class A Common Stock 03/31/2009 A( 1 ) 0 ( 1 ) ( 2 ) A $ 0 0 ( 3 ) D Class A Common Stock 26,000 ( 3 ) D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other STEPHENS ROBERT B JR 400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY CHATTANOOGA, TN37419 SR VP AND GM OF SUBSIDIARY Signatures /s/ Robert B. Stephens, Jr., by Heidi Hornung-Scherr, attorney-in-fact, pursuant to a POA previously filed with the SEC 04/02/2009 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )Represents a restricted stock award under the 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as such plan may be amended from time to time (the "Incentive Plan"). This grant is void if the stockholders of the issuer do not approve an amendment to the Incentive Plan at the 2009 Annual Meeting, to, among other things, make additional shares available for the grant of awards under the Incentive Plan. Subject to the preceding qualification, the shares subject to the award vest in one-third increments when and to the extent the issuer's Class A common stock trades at or above $4.00, $6.00, and $8.00 for thirty consecutive trading days during the period beginning January 1, 2010, and ending December 31, 2011, subject to continued employment and the specific terms of the award notice. ( 2 )The reporting person acquired an amount equal to approximately $10,500, to be converted to shares based upon the closing price of the issuer's Class A common stock two full trading days following the public release of the issuer's first quarter 2009 earnings. ( 3 )Aggregate amount of securities beneficially owned following the reported transaction does not include the amount of securities that will be acquired upon the conversion to shares of approximately $10,500, based upon the closing price of the issuer's Class A common stock two full trading days following the public release of the issuer's first quarter 2009 earnings.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

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