Does it worth it to buy trucks and contract drivers?

[PirataCuenca]

Hi all! I play both games ET2 and ATS since a while.

I mean, I speant some money expanding my garage, buying trucks and contracting drivers, but the money I received for every work they made was really low and the taxes I had to pay every day were high, so I decided to sell the trucks, solve the payments with the bank, fire the drivers and keep driving by my self.

I use to get contracts around 50-70€ per/km, betwen 50k/70K for every travel I make.

However, I read people on here that they hire drivers and make mone. So I decided to ask if anybody can help me to understand and enjoy more this wonderful game

[Silverbiker]

Earning with rookie drivers is very low at start as they do not have the skills for better paid jobs. Earning improve with better skills.
Just don't expand like mad.
Others have different ways as there are many ways to play this game but to go bust is very difficult as money is so easy to earn. Just takes a bit of patience.

[Slowsilver]

They make so much money after they get some skills that I don't hire any anymore. I wan't that there is the money making point when I drive myself. Maybe you can hire just one first and let him work for awhile and see what you like. If you start buying cheapest trucks and hire plenty of drivers, it won't take long before you drown in money.

Up to you what you like, but economically it sure is worth it. I started new game because I didn't like having too much money.

[keithhazel13]

Originally posted by PirataCuenca:

Hi all! I play both games ET2 and ATS since a while.

I mean, I speant some money expanding my garage, buying trucks and contracting drivers, but the money I received for every work they made was really low and the taxes I had to pay every day were high, so I decided to sell the trucks, solve the payments with the bank, fire the drivers and keep driving by my self.

I use to get contracts around 50-70€ per/km, betwen 50k/70K for every travel I make.

However, I read people on here that they hire drivers and make mone. So I decided to ask if anybody can help me to understand and enjoy more this wonderful game

WHILE IM PRETTY NEW TO THIS AND POSTING ON HERE OFTEN AS HAVE PROBLEMS I FOUND THAT IF I BOUGHT CHEAP TRUCKS FOR DRIVERS THEY GOT CHEAP JOBS FOR A LONG WHILE SO I DID FOR THEM WHAT I DO FOR ME AND BUY A TRUCK AND SOON AS I CAN UPGRADE IT FOR THEM TO 500HP AND THEN WHEN I CAN UPGRADE AGAIN AND GIVE THEM ANOTHER BACK AXIL AS THEY WILL GET BIGGER JOBS JUST THE WAY WE DO WHEN WE UPGRADE OUR TRUCKS, YOU CAN ONLY GET JOBS THAT YOUR TRUCK IS CAPABLE OF...I DRIVE FROM WHERE I FINISH THE LAST JOB MOSTLY AND JUST DRIVE AND BUY A GARAGE, BORROW WHEN THE BANK OFFERS, BUY TRUCKS FOR GARAGES WHEN I CAN AND HIRE DRIVERS...IM STILL NEWISH AND ONLY LEVEL 32 AND HAVE ABOUT 23 DRIVERS BUT ALREADY ONE CAME IN WITH 33000 FOR A JOB AND NOW BUY THE TIME I HAVE DONE A JOB THEY HAVE EARNED ENOUGH WHERE I CAN BUY A GARAGE AT THE END OF MY NEXT JOB, NO POINT HAVING MONEY IN THE BANK NOT LIKE YOU NEED IT FOR A RAINY DAY LOL...THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO PLAY JUST THE WAY YOU ENJOY, THERE IS A POINT WHEN YOU WILL HAVE MORE MONEY COMING IN THEN YOU CAN SPEND SO MAKE SURE YOU ENJOY THE DRIVES OR ITS GAME OVER...NOT SURE HOW YOUR TAXES AS YOU CALL THEM ARE SO HIGH YOU HAVE NO MONEY....I STILL GET DRIVERS NOT FINDING JOBS AND COSTING ME UP TO 1500 BUT THE OTHERS MORE THEN MAKE UP FOR IT...I'M SO MUCH A NEWBIE I HAVE NOT YET GOT TO BE USING MY GEAR STICK AND STILL ON "SIMPLE AUTOMATIC" WHICH IS GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER (PUN INTENDED) ..HIRING DRIVERS IS JUST THE SHORTCUT TO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE BIGGEST TRUCK AND TRAILERS YOU WANT .. ENJOY

[kaki_gamet]

At least get 20 for the achievements (10 males, 10 females, including yourself) and give them some time. For the start anyway you are the one that covers (almost) every expense.

[kaki_gamet]

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

YOU CAN ONLY GET JOBS THAT YOUR TRUCK IS CAPABLE OF

No, only skills matter.

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

MAKE SURE YOU ENJOY THE DRIVES OR ITS GAME OVER

No, there are players going completely solo and they are more than fine.

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

I'M SO MUCH A NEWBIE

Correct. And I strongly suggest you to change to Real Automatic as soon as possible : )

[keithhazel13]

Originally posted by kaki_gamet:

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

YOU CAN ONLY GET JOBS THAT YOUR TRUCK IS CAPABLE OF

No, only skills matter.

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

MAKE SURE YOU ENJOY THE DRIVES OR ITS GAME OVER

No, there are players going completely solo and they are more than fine.

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

I'M SO MUCH A NEWBIE

Correct. And I strongly suggest you to change to Real Automatic as soon as possible : )

WHEN I SAY ENJOY THE GAME OR ITS OVER I MEANT IF YOU DONT ENJOY THE DRIVE WHEN YOUR WORKERS ARE BRINGING IN SO MUCH MONEY YOU CANT SPEND IT THERE IS NO POINT IF YOU DONT ENJOY DRIVING....

[keithhazel13]

Originally posted by kaki_gamet:

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

YOU CAN ONLY GET JOBS THAT YOUR TRUCK IS CAPABLE OF

No, only skills matter.

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

MAKE SURE YOU ENJOY THE DRIVES OR ITS GAME OVER

No, there are players going completely solo and they are more than fine.

Originally posted by keithhazel13:

I'M SO MUCH A NEWBIE

Correct. And I strongly suggest you to change to Real Automatic as soon as possible : )

I THINK YOU MEAN CHANGE TO H-SHIFTER ALTHOUGH IVE HAD TO CHANGE DOWN TO A 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION FROM THE 12 I HAD AS NO WAY WILL I BE ABLE TO REMEMBER ALL THAT BUTTON CLICKING LARK AND REMEMBERING THAT 7 IS 1 WITH A BUTTON CLICK LOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT...

[kaki_gamet]

If do you have it even better I guess, Simple Automatic is really like a kid's toy (and I wasted so much time with it before to discover that there are better ways) ^^'

Edit: noticed only now that you replied me twice, and you are right, you wrote "drives" but I read "drivers" ^^' Uppercase is causing issues on my side now -.-

[luZk]

Dude, why are you yelling? Caps lock is not auto pilot for cool.

[Underscore_101_3]

From another post, he seems to have problems with his eyes or vision of some sorts.

[Rivaldman]

To make it more exciting, I will limit myself to one hire driver for one garage. And I will only buy a new garage once the driver is fully developed.

That makes me still having one hired driver, one garage, running out of money after 80 reality hours.

[Silverbiker]

Originally posted by Rivaldman:

To make it more exciting, I will limit myself to one hire driver for one garage. And I will only buy a new garage once the driver is fully developed.

That makes me still having one hired driver, one garage, running out of money after 80 reality hours.

You will need to fill the garages with the number of trucks and drivers required.
The running costs are based on that.
If you only put one driver in a 3 truck garage it will never make a profit as it will never hit the earnings target and, in spite what I said earlier, you will lose money. Yes it will lose money at start but as you fill the slots and skills improve it will start making money.
As I said, the way I go take quick jobs until you have enough to buy your first truck as you earn a lot more with your own truck.
You should should focus skill on ADR jobs as they pay more plus throw in odd distance points.
Expand your garage to 3 slots. Look for cheapest truck and now you can go one of two ways. Work until you can afford to buy it outright or earn enough so you can take smallest loan and but 2nd track and hire AI driver. Personally I don't bother about their skilling up as I used to miss when they levelled up and missed the pints. Just leave then to it. You will get negative jobs as they may not have the skills to take a return job but this will diminish as the skills go up (Same as yourself).
When you can afford it buy your second truck and hire driver.
I would make my first garage in biggest city to maximise jabs availabilty as you can always move it later.
Always fill the slots available in your garages.
You can upgrade a garage to 5 slots and use it as a filling station, especially when there aren't many locally to the city you are in.

[MagnusA]

Originally posted by Silverbiker:

You will need to fill the garages with the number of trucks and drivers required.
The running costs are based on that.

Does a garage require any drivers/trucks at all to cover its running costs?

From what I can see from the the Garage Manager, a garage with all slots empty have no running costs at all after the purchase.

Each truck and driver have running costs like maintenance, fuel and wage, but that's it. Every driver/truck cover its own running costs (as long as they don't have too many empty runs without payload). An empty garage does not give any revenue but does not have any costs either (except the purchase). . No rent, no electricity, no taxes, nothing.

[keithhazel13]

Originally posted by luZk:

Dude, why are you yelling? Caps lock is not auto pilot for cool.

AS POINTED OUT BY THE CONSIDERATE PLAYER UNDERSCORE THERE IS AN EYE ISSUE TO DO WITH THE CAPITALS...
ALSO.... IF YOU THINK SAT IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER INSTEAD OF BEING OUTSIDE IN THE REAL WORLD , PLAYING AN IMAGINARY DRIVER IS "COOL" MMMMMMMMMM
NOW MY DRIVING SHIFT IS OVER I WILL GO CHANGE OUT OF THIS EDDIE STOBBART OUTFIT AS THE GREEN REALLY CONFLICTS WITH MY EYE COLOUR...

[keithhazel13]

Originally posted by Silverbiker:

Originally posted by Rivaldman:

To make it more exciting, I will limit myself to one hire driver for one garage. And I will only buy a new garage once the driver is fully developed.

That makes me still having one hired driver, one garage, running out of money after 80 reality hours.

You will need to fill the garages with the number of trucks and drivers required.
The running costs are based on that.
If you only put one driver in a 3 truck garage it will never make a profit as it will never hit the earnings target and, in spite what I said earlier, you will lose money. Yes it will lose money at start but as you fill the slots and skills improve it will start making money.
As I said, the way I go take quick jobs until you have enough to buy your first truck as you earn a lot more with your own truck.
You should should focus skill on ADR jobs as they pay more plus throw in odd distance points.
Expand your garage to 3 slots. Look for cheapest truck and now you can go one of two ways. Work until you can afford to buy it outright or earn enough so you can take smallest loan and but 2nd track and hire AI driver. Personally I don't bother about their skilling up as I used to miss when they levelled up and missed the pints. Just leave then to it. You will get negative jobs as they may not have the skills to take a return job but this will diminish as the skills go up (Same as yourself).
When you can afford it buy your second truck and hire driver.
I would make my first garage in biggest city to maximise jabs availabilty as you can always move it later.
Always fill the slots available in your garages.
You can upgrade a garage to 5 slots and use it as a filling station, especially when there aren't many locally to the city you are in.

APOLOGIES FOR THE CAPITALS.... HAVING READ THIS POST AND OTHERS YOU SEEM TO KNOW YOUR STUFF SO AT THE RISK OF SOMEONE ELSE RANTING AT ME FOR GOING OFF TOPIC I WILL SEE IF YOU HAVE THE ANSWER.... I HAVE "SUBSCRIBED" TO A WORKSHOP MOD, ONE ACTUALLY THAT IS SPEED LIMIT WITH A BIGGER ACTUAL NUMBER THAT WOULD AID ME TO KEEP LOOKING FORWARD INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LOOK SIDEWAYS AND RE-FOCUS ON THE SPEED NUMBER WHICH IS A STRUGGLE..OLD EYES.. AND ALTHOUGH IT SHOWS AS ACTIVE IN THE MOD MANAGER IT DOES NOT SHOW UP IN CAB OF TRUCK, I SUBSCRIBED TO A COUPLE OF OTHER IN CAB ITEMS AND THEY TOO DO NOT SHOW...THE ONLY ONE THAT AUTOMATICALLY SHOWS AND WORKS IS A GOOGLE MAP ONE THAT I NEEDED TO GO WITH THE SPEED LIMIT ONE...I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN THE MOD FOLDER IN DOCUMENTS WERE PRO-MODS IS BUT I READ YOU JUST CLICK ON SUBSCRIBE AND THATS ALL YOU NEED TO DO...ANY IDEAS WOULD I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR.. THANKS