Hired drivers poor performance

[Stenleh44]

So at this point I have about 6 hired drivers with basic trucks maybe second tier trucks.

Their performance is pittiful snd I would think by this time they’d be doing better. They earn about $1000-3000 but nothing more. They also seem to be real slow.

Sometimes I even lose money from them.

I know they need to get experience but I think some of them should be past that point. I have their skill in heavy, hazardous and high value as well.

Am I doing something wrong? Do they need better trucks? The only real money I’m making is primarily from my jobs. Once I had a drive get about $14,000 but that only happened once.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Wolfgang]

The thing you are doing wrong is to set their priority in which skill they should put in the points. Short jobs won't give you as much money as longer jobs. But longer jobs require the long distance skill.

Don't set any priority for which skill they should focus on and they will soon make more money.

[GHKtruc]

Well at least they work. 1000 to 3000 per driver is good. Especially if they are newly hired

[redgreen999]

At the beginning 2k to 4k is the norm. IMY best earner early did 6k. AFterwhile, they maybe avg 7 to 8k.

Certain drivers seem to be programed to suck eggs. I have let 3 go out of about 15 so far. They just never did better then 600 or they just rested for days.
Helps to train them in high value cargo and try giving them flatbeds or lowboys. These can haul mire high value loads. Not all garages seem to use lowboys or flatbeds. If they never use a certain type of trailer, then those jobs hauls are not available to them in that area. Hired drivers don't pull from the same job list as the player. So can't always tell which trailer for which garage until you test them out.

Lowboys and Reefers seem to make more money.

[Stenleh44]

Thanks for the info. I guess hired drivers suck. I probably don’t play enough to build them up fast. I’m stuck on my farm all the time and not driving truck!

I don’t use trailers much. Maybe I will look at that. I bought a trailer thinking I’d use it but the price per distance was only $22ish. I like much higher prices.

[Goggles56]

I have a few drivers regularly in 10k + range and a couple that have gotten in to the 20's. I don't know if it is a coincidence but I upgraded all of their trucks to flat top 389's with either 635 HP cats or 600 HP Cummins and 18 speed transmissions with retarders. For the most part they are pulling low boys with a few other trailers mixed in just to see what pays best. I do try to keep an eye on their skill priority as well.

A weird thing happened though. I bought a garage in Medford and put 2 new Pete's with low boys there. I have had lot's of hauls to Medford so figured they would do well. For 2 days they didn't put on a mile. I dismissed them and the 2 new drivers did the same, sat around for days. I moved them to new garages and off they went. Like I said, weird.

[Emmerich]

I watched performance at the beginning but every time I have 4m$ I buy a new garage with 5 trucks, 12 trailers and simp,y take the first suggested drivers and I have about 300 trucks running and get enough money for a new garage every 2 days about so I would say use the driver management only if it makes fun and let it run the mpst time..

[Stenleh44]

Damn. That’s a lot. I barely make enough money to buy trucks and fill my existing garage slots.

[headbunt]

all my new drivers get day cabs and skill on long distance promote when your happy with them, ( 2 ) 1000 mile trips in the same week, they get stand up sleepers. when they get a 10 rating they get the best fully loaded chromed company truck I can buy. and trade trucks with a 150 thousand miles. grow your company when money allows.

[Knottypine]

Originally posted by Stenleh44:

Damn. That’s a lot. I barely make enough money to buy trucks and fill my existing garage slots.

You will literally be a millionaire before you know it. Just takes a bit of time to get things going. My drivers make more than I can ever spend. I have 90 hired drivers and 100 trucks. And a few trailers I tinker around with sometimes. I upgraded every truck merely because I have so much money to spend. And purchased every garage simply because I could. So don't worry about it too much, they'll make you tons of $ before you know it.

One thing I'll mention... skill wise. Here's the exact order levelled each driver:

1. Long distance 2 (you want to level them to at least 2 to start off before other skills)
2. High value 1 (get one point in here to unlock high value cargo)
3. Fragile cargo 1 (get one point in here to unlock fragile cargo)
4. Just in-time delivery 2 (put two points here to unlock both types of these)
5. Hazardous cargo 6 (leave training here until all hazardous are unlocked)
6. Long distance to 3
7. Just in-time delivery to 3
8. Balance level ups for Long distance, just in-time, High value, and Fragile cargo.
9. Finally throw points into Fuel Economy (Only when every other skill is maxed out)

This method worked well for me.

[mr_bman]

I have them all train up fully on long distance driving first as they will always get that bonus. All the rest of their skills will be a random thing if they can put those to use - they may or may not take a job that gives them extra bonuses such as fragile cargo - but will always get a bonus for long distance. Also have them train up with hazmat certificates - opens up more loads they can potentially randomly get assigned. The type of truck they use isn't supposed to make any difference with the jobs they get.
Don't even bother with trailers because they end up not finding jobs when they reach their destination and come back empty. The worst one I seen was one that went over a thousand miles empty.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2372176836
This driver is maxed out and you can see how the AI does it with routes. They go to and from their home bases. He can take all kinds of loads though. If he had a flatbed trailer I owned though he's limited to only taking jobs that need a flatbed which severely limits the amounts of jobs they can take - especially if they take a load to a singular business out in the boonies.

[GHKtruc]

Returning empty isn't caused by trailer ownership. I once saw a driver deliver stuff with 1 trailer, and do the return trip with another. It won't be limited to using only the flatbed if you only have that. It will use whatever pays the best.

However I had issues a while ago with drivers not driving because they were trying to use a turnpike, and I still have issues with drivers not finding jobs out of their homebase; https://steamcommunity.com/app/270880/discussions/0/5185299686169551241/
https://steamcommunity.com/app/270880/discussions/0/1631916406861151939/

[moses195]

I just hire them and turn ‘em loose. Today I hired my 205th driver. I have all but 3 garages puchased. The $$ just rolls in.

[Stenleh44]

Thanks all! Greatly appreciate all the comments and suggestions!