MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — ValuSoft, has released “Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel,” the third installment of its popular rig-based, video game series.

Gamers can now be their own boss behind the wheel of six big rig trucks — including 18 wheelers, flatbeds and tankers — as they build their trucking business.

Players will bid on jobs, weighing the hazards and payoffs of each delivery, and then hit the road to deliver their goods faster than the competition. 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, disabled vehicles and severe weather that could damage or slow their delivery, even stopping at weigh stations and truck stops or risk tickets, dangerously 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 or hire drivers to become king of the road.

“Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel” follows the best-selling Hard Truck and Hard Truck II, which together have sold 380,000 total units.

The new game is shipping to major U.S. retailers and mass merchant accounts, and will be available for US$19.99. ValuSoft can be found on the World Wide Web at www.valusoft.com.