Joe 'Tom' Yateley is an ex-convict. Trying to leave his past behind, he decides to starts working for the Hawlett Trucking company, which transports gravel. It's an aggressive company, where speed is everything. Doing too less runs in a day? You're out. Red is the most experienced trucker, he can do 18 runs in a day. Tom soon makes friends with Lucy, the secretary, and Gino, a driver. But the record of Red intrigues him and he wants to break it. Gino advises against it, but he helps Tom when he wants to go through with it. Soon trouble begins when Red and the other drivers form an united front against Tom. Just when Tom has enough and decides to pack his bags, Lucy tells him Gino had a terrible accident. She also tells about the corruption of Hawlett Trucking.
3.5星，算好看。主要是圈套底层无背景人士为得益者卖命的一系列事件，爱情线硬凑，非要和小秘书来一腿，两人也没多情投意合啊，令好友心情大跌谷底。
英国电影会注重人物的部分，包括亲情爱情的表达。追逐戏和打斗戏充满了现代好莱坞元素。
依旧不懂为何这对英国人来说是经典
蓝领阶级Film Noir，卡车的速度与激情。人心险恶甚于道路惊险，十三号的诅咒和刹车伏笔很爽快。黑幕没有展开来讲，反转大于反思。感情戏拖后腿，女主角的情起本身没立住，男主角如果不更进一步既能保持住性格，故事也还是能进行下去。孤胆英雄式的主角、有正义感的外籍友人、匪徒似的同事、郊外泥地的背景、车马烟草的元素竟与通心粉西部片有奇特的联系感。年轻的康纳利和吉尔·爱兰德。留意到一个打光的细节：黑白电影经常使用外部光源来模拟蜡烛或灯泡的光，因此会出现蜡烛和灯泡本身的影子，以往见到的都是大面积的稳定光源，而在本片中则是小面积光照并且会跟着移动
又是脑袋挂在裤腰带上卖命式的卡车司机飙车电影，没有过多地把重点放在展现驾驶过程中的惊险，主要还是男主身边各个角色的性格展示，孤胆英雄最终还是抱得美人归，就是Gino好惨啊……Sean Connery还打了个不大不小的酱油角色~