We all know that there isn't much that the trucking industry doesn't impact—and that includes the world of entertainment! A few weeks ago we posted a blog of two K&J employee's favorite trucking songs . We had so much fun introducing you to Cody and John that we decided to do it again... movie edition.
Without further ado, we give you the top trucking movies of all time.
After young college kids use the CB radio to play a nasty prank on a truck driver known as "Rusty Nail," their road trip does not go as planned. Rusty Nail isn't your average trucker. Instead, he's a psychotic driver who follows the kids' every move and will stop at nothing to murder them.
While it starts out as what seems to be an innocent road trip, this movie quickly turns into a thriller you can't peel your eyes away from. Moral of the story? Don't mess with truckers.
Nobody likes an abusive sherif. In Convoy, truckers band together to form a mile-long barricade around a fellow trucker in support of his vendetta against the police to get him home to his pregnant wife.
Based on the country song of the same title, Convoy is one of the most well-known trucking movies—and for good reason. This movie truly shows the brother (and sister) hood that is such an integral part of being a trucker!
Jack Crews went to prison for vehicular manslaughter after he lost control of his car and hit a motorist. Black Dog opens after he is released; because he had been in prison, the Crews family is close to losing their home. To make some quick cash, Jack takes an "off the books" job that ends up being an illegal load. While another driver tries to hijack the haul, Jack works to make the delivery and save his family.
(The only movie on Cody's list that John didn't mention, you simply can't go wrong with Patrick Swayze, Randy Travis, and Meat Loaf in Black Dog! You can't help but root for the good 'ol boys in this one.)
After a rogue comet passes through Earth's atmosphere in 1986, machines all over the world start to come alive in a homicidal rampage. Maximum Overdrive follows the story of a group of survivors who are trapped in a desolate truck stop as they try to kill (or be killed by) the 18-wheelers surrounding them.
We have just one question: aren't you glad your truck hasn't come to life and turned against you?
Back in the day it was illegal to drive Coors East of Texas. In Smokey and the Bandit, they do just that. The only problem? A sherif is quickly in pursuit. Between the swim breaks, biker fights, and a squealing Trans Am used as a distraction, there is non-stop action that leaves you wanting more.
One of the most iconic trucking movies to date, Smokey and the Bandit has all the fixings for a perfect afternoon: beer, a damsel in distress, car chases, and more! This is perfect for any trucker who wishes there was a little more action in their daily life.
He couldn't pick between the two, so he picked both. Only the first Smokey and the Bandit, none of the sequels made the John's Top 5 cut. Convoy (the song) also made John's list of Top 5 Trucking Songs because of it's jam-packed with trucker slang.
On his way to a business meeting, David Mann speeds around an old, slow tanker truck. When the trucker recognizes the car from a bad incident in his past, he makes it his mission to take the businessman out in a duel.
Everybody feels a little road rage once in awhile. But road rage does not mix well with a driver who suffers a psychotic break. And while we definitely don't recommend chasing down every bad driver you encounter, we do recommend this movie to any trucker who has ever wanted to challenge a pesky 4-wheeler.
In White Line Fever, Carrol Jo Hummer is released from the Air Force with the goal of saving enough money to start a family sooner rather than later. Hummer has friends in the trucking industry, so he gets a loan to buy a truck; however, he quickly finds out the long-haul business in Arizona is now controlled by organized crime, and decides it's his job to fight for what is right!
John's not the only one out there who considers this classic the best trucking movie of all time! Released in 1975, this movie came out during the height of CB radio and explores the realities of a lot of truckers.
With the overlap on Cody and John's lists, we have only seen seven movies and promised you ten. Here's a few movies that weren't on their lists, but that we think you might like anyway:
When an aging trucker decides he needs to take his beloved truck, Elenor, on one last run, many people pitch it to make it happen.
This is simply a feel good movie; who doesn't love a feel good movie once in a while?
Australian truck driver Patrick Quid likes to interact with the people he passes on the road. He'll make up a story about the lives of the people he sees or pick up a hitchhiker to help pass the time. But when a hitchhiker he picks up disappears and he becomes the prime murder suspect, he has to catch the real killer before it is too late.
If you like movies like Joy Ride, you might also like Road Games. While we know it's not the reality of life on the road, it sure does make for a story that keeps you on your toes!
Have you already seen these movies and looking for more? Check out IMDB's list of 34 trucker movies!
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