A hotshot truck driver known as Bandit accepts a dare from boisterous entrepreneurs, Big Enos and Little Enos, to bootleg 400 cases of Coors Beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in 28 hours. This task is less about the delivery and more about the thrill, as the specific cargo they’re transporting is considered contraband east of Texas. Bandit enlists his pal, Cledus, to drive the truck, while he himself distracts law enforcement using his flashy Pontiac Trans-Am. As they thunder down the highways, Bandit is not just delivering beer, but also delivering high-speed thrills and dodging the police at every turn.

Their run-in with the law becomes even more complicated when Bandit picks up a spirited hitchhiker named Carrie, who is fresh from leaving her groom at the altar. This sets Sheriff Buford T. Justice, also known as "Smokey," on their trail with a personal vendetta, as the abandoned groom is his son. As they speed towards Atlanta, the chase becomes a wild pursuit filled with near-misses, comedic banter, and escalating stakes, as Bandit and Cledus outwit and outrun the smokies on their tail, transforming their delivery mission into a legendary road adventure.