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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(AMENDMENT NO.5)*
USA Truck, Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, ($.01 par value)
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(Title of Class of Securities)
902925 10 6
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(CUSIP Number)
Check the following box if a fee is being paid with the statement. / / (A fee
is not required only if the reporting person: (1) has a previous statement on
file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7).
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities,
and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).
THIS DOCUMENT CONSISTS OF 4 PAGES.
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CUSIP NO. 902925 10 6 SCHEDULE 13G PAGE 2 OF 4 PAGES
1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
J. B. Speed
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2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) / /
(b) / /
3. SEC USE ONLY _______________________________________________________________
4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
United States citizen
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With:
5. SOLE VOTING POWER 2,091,824 shares
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6. SHARED VOTING POWER none
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7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 2,091,824 shares
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8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER none
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9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
2,091,824 shares
10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES
CERTAIN SHARES* /X/
11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
22.3%
12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IN
*SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
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CUSIP NO. 902925 10 6 Page 3 of 4 Pages
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Reporting Person: J.B. Speed
________________________________________________________________________________
ITEM 1.
(a) Name of issuer: USA Truck, Inc.
(b) Address of issuer's principal executive offices:
3108 Industrial Park Road
Van Buren, Arkansas 72956
ITEM 2.
(a) Name of person filing: J.B. Speed
(b) Address of principal business office:
3108 Industrial Park Road
Van Buren, Arkansas 72956
(c) Citizenship: United States
(d) Title of class of securities:
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
(e) CUSIP Number: 902925 10 6
ITEM 3. STATUS AS PERSON FILING PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-1(b) OR 13d-2(b):
Not Applicable
ITEM 4. OWNERSHIP
(a) Amount beneficially owned: As of December 31, 1997 the
reporting person beneficially owned 2,091,824 shares of the issuer's Common
Stock. In addition, the reporting person's wife owned 63,343 shares of such
Common Stock as of that date. Pursuant to Rule 13d-4 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Act"), the reporting person disclaims beneficial
ownership of the shares owned by his wife, and the filing of this Schedule 13G
shall not be construed as an admission that the reporting person is, for the
purposes of Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Act, the beneficial owner of any of
the shares owned by his wife. The reporting person acquired the shares
beneficially owned by him prior to the registration of the issuer's Common
Stock under Section 12 of the Act and, accordingly, is filing this Schedule 13G
pursuant to Rule 13d-1(c) under the Act.
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CUSIP NO. 902925 10 6 SCHEDULE 13G Page 4 of 4 Pages
(b) Percent of class: The 2,091,824 shares of Common Stock beneficially
owned by the reporting person represented approximately 22.3% of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock as of December 31, 1997.
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
2,091,824 shares
(ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
none
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
2,091,824 shares
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
none
ITEM 5. OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OF LESS OF A CLASS
Not applicable.
ITEM 6. OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON
Not applicable.
ITEM 7. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE
SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY
Not applicable.
ITEM 8. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
Not applicable.
ITEM 9. NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP
Not applicable.
ITEM 10. CERTIFICATION
Not applicable.
SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify
that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
Dated: February 06, 1998 /s/ J.B. SPEED
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J.B. Speed