Note 16 - Deferred Compensation Plan	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Notes to Financial Statements
Postemployment Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]	1 6 . 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. Such deferral is also provided for within the Marten Transport, Ltd. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan. As of December 31, 2018, 241,348 shares of Company common stock with a value of $3.9 million 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.

. Deferred Compensation Plan

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. Such deferral is also provided for within the Marten Transport, Ltd.

2015

Equity Incentive Plan. As of

December 31, 2018,

241,348

shares of Company common stock with a value of

$3.9

million 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.