The Transporter premiered at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on 2 October 2002 and was first theatrically released in the United States on 11 October by 20th Century Fox, and in France on 23 October by EuropaCorp.
It received mixed reviews from critics with praise for its action sequences and Statham's performance.
It grossed $43.9 million worldwide and was followed by the sequel Transporter 2 (2005).