Need advice on buying a truck

[gwelty]

My main truck for the game has been a Peterbilt 389 (600hp), and now I'm level 21. I think back when I was level 10 or so I bought a garage in Boise, bought an International LoneStar (400hp), and hired a driver to drive it. Now I'd like to buy a second truck for that garage and hire a driver for it.

Any ideas on the best truck to buy? I have about 16 truck dealers discovered.

Thanks.

[Bastargre]

Just give your driver's whatever truck you like, it doesn't matter

[1SlimShaney]

Honestly just get whatever you like. I dont know if truck power affects the kind of cargo your drivers can haul, but I dont think it matters much as they just take random jobs anyway. I have a full power Peterbilt for myself, best engine and trans for heavy hauling. 2 of my drivers are just driving the trucks that I used to use, one of them a fairly upgraded Kenworth, and my other drivers are just driving whatever I felt like buying for them. Neither of them were very expensive trucks, they just have day cabs on them. I think one is a Volvo and the other is an International. I do like to have variety, so I have purposely bought trucks from different manufacturers for each driver.

[gwelty]

Thanks both of you. 1SlimShaney, that's why I bought the International LoneStar - it seemed pretty generic, and so good for a hired driver. When you say you have a "full power Peterbilt," what does that mean? Do you have specific upgrades? I've looked for a guide on how to upgrade trucks, but I can't find one. Suffice it to say this is outside my real-life experience, so I'm just guessing. :-)

[1SlimShaney]

I just have the engine and transmission as best I see for the cargo I haul. It's a high horsepower engine and an 18 speed transmission. When choosing those two components I look at the stats it tells you. The high horsepower is better for heavy cargo and hills, while low horsepower is better for light cargo (I assume mainly because of fuel consumption), you dont need all that horsepower to haul fruit, for example, but you do need it for a bulldozer. The transmissions are to a similar affect, some are better than others for heavy or light cargo, they also affect your offroad and hill abilities. Another thing is wheelbase, longer trucks aren't as manueverable as short trucks. The length doesnt affect hauling stats, but the number of driving axles does. A 6x4 truck is better at heavy cargo than a truck 6x2 truck.

This is my truck here;
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2347164915

And this is a truck I have bought for my drivers;
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2347165148

Notice the stats for each, mine is basically only suited for heavy hauling

[gwelty]

Thanks! The screenshots were extremely helpful. I'm not much off your stats, so I'll go for something like that.

I have a single trailer, but my driver in Boise uses that. It's sort of a hassle to always drop off my trailer at my garage when I'm not using it. So I just gave it to him and he uses it. Yes, I can teleport to Boise in-game to get the trailer, but then I'm there, instead of where I wanted to start out. I realize I'm just rebelling against the in-game simulation, though!

[1SlimShaney]

Actually, if you go into the trailer manager menu, you can dismiss the trailer you're using and it will teleport to your garage

[Sandhill]

Автор сообщения: gwelty

Any ideas on the best truck to buy? I have about 16 truck dealers discovered.
Thanks.

To increase you income cheapest is always best. To amuse yourself, well what amuses you?

[gwelty]

1SlimShaney, oops, I never tried that :-)
Sandhill, well, I went ahead and sent for a somewhat souped-up version of the LoneStar. But for my next purchase when I get enough money again, I'm definitely getting something amusing, so thanks! :-)

[HemiEVO3]

Something to note about normal vs heavy cargo loads:

Always buy the "best" transmission that helps for heavy cargo and hill traversal. I prefer ones with a retarder for cruise control. You can always skip gears you don't need to use to get the weight moving on lighter loads. Buy the engine that best suits the trucks usage. I buy the expensive transmissions and the mid- to high-power engines for myself. When buying trucks exclusively for my drivers, I buy the cheapest trucks and rarely upgrade them. They're bots. They won't struggle with it like we will as drivers. They also pull random loads. Whatever.

[Sandhill]

And do remember that the cheapest truck in the game will pull the heaviest load in the game, perhaps with some extremely rare exceptions, and that the biggest and most powerful truck in the game is just as good for "normal" cargo as any other truck, the "normal" rating just reflecting fuel mileage and perhaps initial purchase cost, and otherwise having nothing to do with suitability.

[luZk]

I find that the freightliner cascadia has the best overall stats if you want to have some pull but also take fuel economy and agility into account. The only downside is the mirror placement imo. It's my most used truck with a 505hp(iirc) and 6x4 chassis. I use a 389 with a cat engine for heavy pulling but i do mostly enjoy long hauling regular trailers.

[Sandhill]

Автор сообщения: luZk

if you want to have some pull but also take fuel economy into account

What is this "fuel economy" of which you speak?

[luZk]

Автор сообщения: Sandhill

Автор сообщения: luZk

if you want to have some pull but also take fuel economy into account

What is this "fuel economy" of which you speak? :lunar2019smilingpig:

Hehe ikr. ;)

[Hypertext Eye]

Автор сообщения: luZk

I find that the freightliner cascadia has the best overall stats if you want to have some pull but also take fuel economy and agility into account. The only downside is the mirror placement imo.

Do you mean the main mirrors or the hood mirrors? I like where the main mirrors are, but the hood mirrors are partially obscured unless I lift the seat too high.

[gwelty]

Thanks for the excellent advice, folks! I've bookmarked this thread for when I buy my next truck. Your insight is invaluable.

Off-topic, but speaking of mirrors, I find that the right mirror tends to obscure my nifty Idaho and Colorado hanging ornaments. Worse yet, the Colorado ornament has a property the Idaho ornament doesn't have: the ability to be *constantly* twisted around so that I can't see that shiny glowing gem! I delivered stuff to get that ornament, and then paid to install it, and I only get to see its good side half the time? :-)