whats the best way to use trailers in early game?

[Morgan_the_S̶i̶m̶p̶ Fae]

i've been playing for a little while and finally feel like i've gotten used to offroading and dealing with mud but whenever i try and transport a larger amount of stuff with a trailer attached to a semi i quickly get stuck in mud and have to abandon the trailer, is there any kind of trick? is there an early game truck that does even slightly better in the mud with a bigger load or do i really have to get through slowly transporting items for missions one by one. just for reference i've explored almost all of black river and a little bit of smithville.

[Qrazy]

Learning where to drive is just as important as where not to drive. You can also use another truck to help winch the stuck one out or get it in a more favorable position.

Also winch from the trailer and not the truck.

[Arpente Reves]

Don't use big trailers at first. Stay with the small two slots trailers. If you know where you are going, you can try to use a bigger trailer with very light cargo but if it's something like concrete slabs, forget about even using a trailer if you don't have winch points lol

Planks, bricks and both spare parts are pretty light, I'm confident you can carry at least 4 slots worth over medium mud.

[herrschaftg35]

Should be manageable if you have unlocked the mud tires and lift kits. The P-16 that is found in one of the regions can handle the mud fairly well, but you will need a high saddle trailer.

[Beast of War]

Originally posted by Qrazy:

Learning where to drive is just as important as where not to drive.

This is the way :-)

You can recognize what a truck is intended to do by how long or short it's frame is. The medium trucks with long frames are not intended to pull 5 slot ( or more ) semi trailers. They can, but suck at it and have a HUUUGE turning radius and often lose command over the trailer by having their steering wheels lifted in the air. These long frame mediums are meant to carry cargo's on their back and pull a simple 2 slot trailer. The less power or traction it has, the less axles that trailer should have. With general US medium trucks i often use the simplest and lightest 2 slot, 2 axle trailer so i can move 4 slots at a time. That is not much, but attempting to move more will almost certainly make you struggle and lose time.

The slightly heavier, short frame trucks are obviously intended to pull semi-trailers and are far more capable to do so.

The real heavy trucks like the P16 are to be used for the heaviest and widest trailers and loads. They have the power, traction and WEIGHT to command the trailer, not the other way around. Such trucks are also useful for mission where the mediums would struggle as the larger the wheels are, the easier they roll through or over anything.

Wheel size is thus a more important feature then what traction the tires have. This is why farm tractors have such large wheels.

If you are frustrated zapping back to the garage having to leave your trailer, then consider not using a trailer and driving to that destination more times. To make the multiple journeys not too boring use different trucks to compare their abilities. Or leave the trailer and pick it up later. On HARD mode you cannot zap back to your garage without penalty so you will have to drive back always.

It is a good custom if you own a lot of trucks to leave them after a mission where they are, and start another mission with another truck. Almost always, rather sooner then later you need to do a mission where you left a truck and likely a general slot cargo trailer too.

The advise above to uncouple when you get stuck, drive some distance up firmer ground and then winch the trailer to you is a good one too. You can also use another vehicle to tow a trailer combination if it can't handle it on it's own. Sometimes you need to do this.

When struggling with mud note that reducing wheel speed ( IF diff lock is on the vehicle ) you often can get going again, so often shifting to L will be enough, but sometimes L- is required. And for L-you cannot have high speed gearboxes but need the off road/snowrunner one. But for off roading L+ is often the best gear as well and not A or H. ( as it will stop or stall which it does not in L+ )

When your choice in tires is limited, take the ones that have double tires on the rear axle. The wider the tires are ( this can be a single tire or 2 next to each other ) the better. So double tires on the rear axles with all terrain tires can almost give the same results as single off road tires, and the same for off road tires vs mud tires.

[Morgan_the_S̶i̶m̶p̶ Fae]

thanks for the advice, it just seems a little frustrating getting stuck in the mud when you try so hard to be careful. i get i could sell all the trucks and buy the good one but that doesn't feel exactly in the spirit of things. XD

[SlowClick]

In the Michigan map there are some trucks you can do without - the Scout 800 is one, for example - that you could 'trade in' for a more useful truck. The ANK is useful early on.

[Private]

"whats the best way to use trailers in early game?"

Pulling them behind your truck seems to be the best way for me. You could try pushing them in front of your truck but you'll likely have a hard time.

[Joey Two Bastards]

I used to use dolly trailers a lot, 2 or 4 slot, but they get stuck and are tippy generally. It's worth teaching yourself how to handle a 5 slot on a low saddle, I prefer the sideboard as you have a bit of leeway if it tips and the load becomes unattached but it doesn't quite fall over.

They're actually easier to reverse as well, once you get over the initial not knowing which way to turn when reversing...