They will log thousands of miles as they travel actual U.S. highways across the desert, through the mountains and along the coast in 11 states. With tons of cargo and thousands of dollars behind them, gamers must watch for road hazards and severe weather that could damage or slow their delivery. They’re even required to stop at weigh stations and truck stops or risk tickets, low fuel and, worse, falling asleep at the wheel.

Building a successful trucking business depends on receiving the maximum payout from each delivery. Overloaded or carelessly handled goods will slow delivery times and reduce payments. As players progress they will use their cash reserves to upgrade their truck, buy a new one and hire drivers to build their trucking empire.

Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel is the third release in the best-selling Hard Truck series. Hard Truck and Hard Truck II have sold in excess of 380,000 total units.

“This has been requested by more fans than practically any of our other games,” states Scott Zerby, Vice President of ValuSoft. “We’ve taken the best of the Hard Truck series and improved the game play in every area.”

Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel is shipping to major retailers and mass merchant accounts, and will be available for $19.99.