David Mann is feeling emasculated in his life, especially after a fight with his wife the evening before. While driving to a business appointment along a two-lane relatively secluded highway in the California desert, David, innocently he believes, passes an eighteen-wheel fuel truck. Later, the truck comes across him again, playing games of road chicken. David initially thinks that the truck driver is just a bad driver. Then, he believes the truck driver is an idiot. Finally, David comes to the realization that the truck driver is out to terrorize/kill him on the road. Feeling a little worse for wear, David thinks that he's eluded his unseen assailant when he almost crashes at a truck stop. However, when he is about ready to leave the truck stop, the eighteen wheeler is there waiting for him. With no friends or proof to back his story, David, knowing that he cannot outrun the souped up truck, has to decide how best to save himself.