The packaging of Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing states that the objective of the game is for the player to "[...] deliver illegal cargo, with cops chasing [them]"; however, in actuality, there are no police in the game or, seemingly, any objectives to complete. The packaging also states that the player must "race trucks across the country" while delivering such cargo; however, although computer-controlled opponent vehicles do indeed appear in the game, they have no artificial intelligence, and never move from their starting position.There are technically no obstacles for the player to negotiate in Big Rigs, as the truck may freely be driven on and off roads without any loss of traction, up or down 90° slopes with no loss or gain of speed, through structures such as buildings and trees, simply falling right through bridges, and even out of the boundaries of the map into an endless grey void. When the player's vehicle is put into reverse, it can accelerate indefinitely, but the truck will halt instantly when the reverse key is released.
Though there appear to be five courses from which to choose, only four are playable. One of the maps, titled "Nightride", does not function and selecting it simply crashes or quits the game. Upon completion of the race, the game displays a large three-handled trophy and the now infamous text "YOU'RE WINNER !" The game occasionally fails to distinguish between whether the player is starting or finishing the race when they pass through the starting point, and so this congratulatory screen may appear within seconds of starting a game, thus ending the race prematurely.