Driving down a deserted Southern California highway at a safe & sane 55 miles per hour David Mann (Dennis Weaver) steps on the pedal to pass a large gas trailer truck Moments later the truck is back dangerously tailgating Mann before abruptly cutting him off For the next 90 minutes Mann & the never-seen truckdriver are pitted against one another in a motorized duel to the death Author Richard Matheson conceived Duel after a similar experience with a reckless trucker