The best movies with truckers in them
Many movies have put an emphasis on vehicles. Days of Thunder focused on race cars, the Fast and the Furious series focused on cars used in illegal street racing, and Top Gun certainly gave us a good look at some fighter jets. However, there have been, some would say, a surprising number of movies dealing with truckers. Maybe it’s the mystique of the open road, the anonymity of CB handles, or just the idea of driving a vehicle that eats Miatas for breakfast, but people seem to enjoy trucker movies. Here are some of the best.
Smokey and the Bandit – 1977
How popular was this movie? The only movie that made more money that year was Star Wars. Starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, Smokey and the Bandit is basically an hour-long high-speed chase with a bit of an intro at the start to give you a reason to chase. I have to love a movie that doesn’t try to dodge the issue of what will make it popular.
Convoy – 1978
A movie inspired by a song that was a gimmick about truckers from the start. Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw and Ernest Borgnine star in this film about a convoy of truckers fighting and running from the law. With names like “Rubber Duck,” “Spider Mike,” “Widow Woman,” and “Sneaky Snake,” it’s no surprise that the film was popular with those interested in truckers and CB culture.
Big Trouble in Little China – 1986
Starring a very young Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall, this movie blends martial arts and trucking into something that could have been overwhelming but, frankly, is very ’80s. While it’s not as focused on trucks and trucking culture as in other films, Kurt Russell’s character Jack’s truck often comes into play.
Automatic switch! Automatic switch! – 1977
It’s a trucker movie starring Chuck Norris. How is this not on every list of the top 100 movies of all time? Don’t you know that Chuck Norris’ truck has a grill that’s actually a fist? Exactly. One of the first movies to make CB radio a central plot point, this movie mixed trucker culture with Chuck Norris’ requirement to kick something.
Sorcerer – 1977
A role that was originally intended for Steve McQueen went to Rob Scheider and a movie about truckers hauling unstable explosives across Central America was born. A commercial failure, he still does a good job of focusing on the obstacles some truckers face, especially those dealing with shipping hazardous materials.
Joy Ride – 2001
Starring Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski, the film uses CB radio as a method for a deranged truck driver to harass the main characters after feeling he has been made the butt of a prank.
Black Dog – 1998
Patrick Swayze, Meat Loaf and Randy Travis star in this movie about a truck driver who discovers he’s moving illegal firearms and his attempts to bring the weapons to the FBI while saving his wife and daughter.
They drive at night – 1940
A noir-style film starring Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ann Sheridan, and Ida Lupino, the film focuses more on interpersonal relationships, but uses trucks as the backdrop for all of the conflict. Luckily this movie has Bogart so you know it can’t be bad.
Over the Top – 1987
Only Stallone could combine long-distance truck driving and professional wrestling in one movie. To earn extra money, trucker Lincoln Hawk (maybe the best non-porn name ever), enters wrestling competitions and eventually wins back his son’s love and a new truck to start his own trucking operation. .
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