The film is **not directly based** on a single true story but is inspired by the all-too-common true stories of missing Black women and girls whose cases often receive insufficient media and law enforcement attention, continuing the social commentary theme of the *Black Girl Missing* franchise.

The film is executive produced by and stars actress **Garcelle Beauvais**, who plays the lead character, Kai.

Kai is a tough and determined **long-haul trucker** who co-owns her family's business. She is the aunt of the missing girl and is driven by a deep conviction that she cannot wait for the authorities to act.

This is the **third installment** in the Lifetime *Black Girl Missing* anthology franchise, which was created to shed light on the systemic disparities and inequities in missing persons cases involving Black women and girls.

The missing niece, **Toy** (played by Sierra Sidwell), is a **neurodivergent** teenager. This aspect adds a layer to her vulnerability to the online predator and emphasizes the societal groups often overlooked in missing persons cases.

The movie was directed by the sibling duo **Kailey and Sam Spear**.

The movie's official runtime is **86 minutes** (1 hour and 26 minutes), which is typical for a Lifetime movie slot with commercials.

The movie premiered on **Lifetime** on Saturday, **October 25, 2025**, as part of the network's month-long 'Ripped from the Headlines' programming.

Kai leverages her vast and loyal **trucking network** (sometimes referred to as the 'Road Mama' community) and her strong **social media influence** to crowdsource information and launch an extensive grassroots manhunt.

As a **Lifetime Original Movie**, *Taken at a Truck Stop* is not available on major competing platforms like Netflix or Hulu as of late October 2025. It is available via the Lifetime streaming service and on-demand platforms.

The core message is the urgent need to address the **systemic disparity** in attention and resources given to missing persons cases involving Black and Brown women and girls compared to other groups, advocating for community action when the system fails.

Kai's sister and Toy's mother, **Madison**, who co-runs the family business, is played by actress **Marci T. House**.