Grant of Restricted Shares. In consideration for the performance of services by the Grantee for the Company as a director, the Company hereby grants the Restricted Shares to the Grantee, subject to the conditions of this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the term “Shares” shall mean shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, which include the Restricted Shares granted under this Agreement, and all securities received # in replacement of the Shares, # as a result of stock dividends or stock splits with respect to the Shares, and # in replacement of the Shares in a merger, recapitalization, reorganization or similar corporate transaction.

Grant of Restricted Shares. The Company hereby grants to you, as of the Grant Date specified on the cover page of this Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement and the Plan, an Award of the number of Restricted Shares specified on the cover page of this Agreement. Unless and until these Restricted Shares vest as provided in Section 4 below, they are subject to the restrictions specified in Section 3 of this Agreement.

Grant of Restricted Shares. The Board shall determine the number of Restricted Shares to be included in the grant and the period or periods during which the Transferability Restrictions applicable to the Restricted Shares will be in force (the “Restricted Period”). The Restricted Period may be the same for all Restricted Shares granted at a particular time to any one Outside Director or may be different with respect to different Outside Directors or with respect to various of the Restricted Shares granted to the same Outside Director, all as determined by the Board at the time of grant.

Grant of Restricted Shares. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Board, at any time and from time to time, may grant Restricted Shares to any Eligible Director in such amounts as the Board shall determine.

ARTICLE # PROTECTION AGAINST DILUTION.

On the Effective Date, the Employee shall be granted an equity award (the “Award”) under the Plan of 60,000 shares (the “Incentive Shares”) of Restricted Stock (as defined in the Plan), which Incentive Shares will vest as follows:

Grant of Restricted Stock. The Company hereby grants ("Grant") to the Grantee an award of TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND (25,000) shares of the Company's Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Shares"). The Shares granted shall be issued in certificate form in the name of the Grantee as soon as reasonably practicable after the Date of Grant and shall be subject to the execution and return of this Agreement by the Grantee to the Company as provided in [Section 9] hereof.

Grant of Restricted Stock. This Award Notice serves to notify you that Heartland Express, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the "Company"), hereby grants to you, under the Company's 2021 Restricted Stock Award Plan (the "Plan"), a Restricted Stock Award (the "Award"), on the terms and conditions set forth in this Award Notice and the Plan, of the number of shares set forth above ("Restricted Shares") of the Company's Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock"). A copy of the Plan is included with this Award Notice, if it has not previously been provided to you. You should review the terms of this Award Notice and the Plan carefully.

Grant of Restricted Awards. The Committee may make grants of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units to Participants. Each Restricted Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement setting forth the number of shares of Restricted Stock or number of Restricted Stock Units granted and the terms and conditions to which the Restricted Award is subject. Restricted Awards may be granted by the Committee in its discretion with or without cash consideration.

Grant of Restricted Stock. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Administrator may, at any time and from time to time, grant Shares of Restricted Stock to Service Providers in such amounts as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine.