Synopsis

Recently released from prison, trucker Jack Crews accepts a lucrative delivery job to save his home and reunite with his family. He soon discovers that the shipment includes illegal weapons and that criminals, the FBI, and the ATF are all tracking him. Forced into a dangerous race from Atlanta to New Jersey, Jack must outwit his pursuers while confronting the terrifying "black dog" hallucination that once ruined his life.

Factoids & Trivia

• Patrick Swayze attended a real truck-driving school to prepare for the role and earn a Class A commercial driver's license.

• The production was originally planned as a starring vehicle for Kevin Sorbo. Patrick Swayze later took over the lead role.

• Filming took place primarily in North Carolina, including Charlotte and Wilmington, with additional work in Georgia.

• The black dog hallucination was portrayed using a black Rottweiler. The animal was filmed separately from the dangerous truck action, with cuts and effects used to create the illusion that it was leaping into the path of the vehicle.

• The pit bull playing Tiny was also kept away from the stunt truck during the crash sequences. American Humane monitored the animal work under its No Animals Were Harmed program.

• Released in the United States on May 1, 1998, the film was made on an estimated $30 million budget but earned approximately $12.95 million in the United States and Canada.