<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001140361-09-025019
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20090914
<FILING-DATE>20091106
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20091106
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>PARE MARK
<CIK>0001467252
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-24960
<FILM-NUMBER>091163542
</FILING-VALUES>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>COVENANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP, INC.
<STREET2>400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY
<CITY>CHATTANOOGA
<STATE>TN
<ZIP>37419
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>COVENANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP INC
<CIK>0000928658
<ASSIGNED-SIC>4213
<IRS-NUMBER>880320154
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>NV
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY
<CITY>CHATTANOOGA
<STATE>TN
<ZIP>37419
<PHONE>4238211212
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY
<CITY>CHATTANOOGA
<STATE>TN
<ZIP>37419
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>COVENANT TRANSPORT INC
<DATE-CHANGED>19940818
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>doc1.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-09-14</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000928658</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COVENANT TRANSPORTATION GROUP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CVTI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001467252</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PARE MARK</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>400 BIRMINGHAM HIGHWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHATTANOOGA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>37419</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>SENIOR VP OF SALES OF SUB</officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-09-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2600</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-11-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents a restricted stock award under the 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as such plan may be amended from time to time.  The shares subject to the award vest when and if the issuer's Compensation Committee certifies that the issuer's consolidated diluted earnings per share, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the award notice, for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010 is equal to or greater than $0.05.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents a restricted stock award under the 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as such plan may be amended from time to time.  The shares vest on certain vesting dates subject to continuous employment and the specific terms of the award notice.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Mark Pare, by Heidi Hornung-Scherr, attorney-in-fact, pursuant to a POA previously filed with the SEC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-11-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
