Top 4 Trucking Movies of All Time

While studying at an automotive training center for a career as a mechanic or dispatcher, you may occasionally want to take a break from all your hard work and relax with a movie. Why not opt for a film set in the world you hope to work in, around the machines you hope to work with?

To be honest, the majority of trucking movies don’t really have a realistic portrayal of the industry, at least not as it currently is, and many of them skip over the dispatcher’s role entirely. That being said, they all have some great scenes with big rigs (including a few sentient big rigs) in action, which anyone with dispatcher training will enjoy nonetheless.
So behold, here are four of the top trucking movies of all time, including a fascinating documentary.

Black Dog (1998)

Black Dog is a movie about long-haul truck driving, featuring Patrick Swayze, Randy Travis and Meatloaf. The general plot outline is that Swayze’s character doesn’t know that he is hauling illegal guns. Meanwhile, the yard manager (Meatloaf) is trying to kill him and hijack the load. He also has the FBI and ATF on his tail, and the man who hired him (Graham Beckel) kidnapping his family.
Some call this the greatest trucking movie ever and others call it the worst. Here’s the trailer:

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

If Stephen King ever took auto mechanic training courses, we may get the kind of big rigs found in Maximum Overdrive. They’re alive! Not only that, they’re quite homicidal. Have a look at the trailer for this camp horror classic:

Big Rig (2007)

Amidst a sea of trucking-themed horror and action flicks comes a documentary called Big Rig. Director Doug Prey approached several truck drivers at truck stops and asked them to be part of the film. He rode with those who agreed and interviewed them for the day. The film touches on the life of the truck drivers featured, the importance of the trucking industry and also the corporatization of the economy.
Have a look at the trailer:

They Drive By Night (1938)

Ever wondered what it would be like to start your own trucking business? What about starting a trucking business in the 1930s? As cool as the premise is, this movie is more focused on storytelling than accurately portraying the early trucking industry. It is a film from Hollywood’s Golden Age starring Humphrey Bogart though, so it’s a classic, regardless. Here’s the trailer: