Note 10 - Deferred Compensation Plan	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Postemployment Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]	10. Deferred Compensation Plan In August 2010, our Board of Directors approved and adopted the Marten Transport, Ltd. Deferred Compensation Plan. The deferred compensation plan is an unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plan designed to allow board elected officers and other select members of our management designated by our Compensation Committee to save for retirement on a tax-deferred basis. Under the terms of the plan, each participant is eligible to defer portions of their base pay, annual bonus, or receipt of common stock otherwise payable under a vested performance unit award. Each participant can elect a fixed distribution date for the participant’s deferral account other than certain required performance unit award deferrals credited to the discretionary account, which will be distributed after the later of the date of the participant’s termination of employment or the date the participant attains age 62. Upon termination of a participant’s employment with the company, the plan requires a lump-sum distribution of the deferral account, excluding the required performance unit award deferrals, unless the participant had elected an installment distribution. Upon a participant’s death, the plan provides that a participant’s distributions accelerate and will be paid in a lump sum to the participant’s beneficiary. We may terminate the plan and accelerate distributions to participants, but only to the extent and at the times permitted under the Internal Revenue Code. We may terminate the plan and accelerate distributions upon a change in control, which is not a payment event under the plan. In conjunction with the approval of the plan, our Board of Directors also adopted an amendment to the Marten Transport, Ltd. 2005 Stock Incentive Plan to allow for deferral of receipt of income from a performance unit award under the plan. As of December 31, 2011, 22,443.1 shares of Company common stock were credited to account balances within the plan. These shares were required performance unit award deferrals of vested awards, and dividends earned on such shares.

Note 10 - Deferred Compensation Plan

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Postemployment Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

10. Deferred Compensation Plan

In August 2010, our Board of Directors approved and adopted the Marten Transport, Ltd. Deferred Compensation Plan. The deferred compensation plan is an unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plan designed to allow board elected officers and other select members of our management designated by our Compensation Committee to save for retirement on a tax-deferred basis.

Under the terms of the plan, each participant is eligible to defer portions of their base pay, annual bonus, or receipt of common stock otherwise payable under a vested performance unit award. Each participant can elect a fixed distribution date for the participant’s deferral account other than certain required performance unit award deferrals credited to the discretionary account, which will be distributed after the later of the date of the participant’s termination of employment or the date the participant attains age 62. Upon termination of a participant’s employment with the company, the plan requires a lump-sum distribution of the deferral account, excluding the required performance unit award deferrals, unless the participant had elected an installment distribution. Upon a participant’s death, the plan provides that a participant’s distributions accelerate and will be paid in a lump sum to the participant’s beneficiary. We may terminate the plan and accelerate distributions to participants, but only to the extent and at the times permitted under the Internal Revenue Code. We may terminate the plan and accelerate distributions upon a change in control, which is not a payment event under the plan. In conjunction with the approval of the plan, our Board of Directors also adopted an amendment to the Marten Transport, Ltd. 2005 Stock Incentive Plan to allow for deferral of receipt of income from a performance unit award under the plan. As of December 31, 2011, 22,443.1 shares of Company common stock were credited to account balances within the plan. These shares were required performance unit award deferrals of vested awards, and dividends earned on such shares.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for postemployment benefits, which may include supplemental unemployment benefits, obligations recognized for all types of benefits provided to former or inactive employees, their beneficiaries, and covered dependents after employment but before retirement. Disclosure may also include discussion that an obligation for postemployment benefits is not accrued in accordance with regulation only because the amount cannot be reasonably estimated.

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