Owning trailers

[sparks567jh]

Is it worth it? how much money, levels, or other should you have before buying a trailer?
Also, which one is best? i was thinking possibly a refridgerated (aka reefer), container carrier, or a low boy/flatbed (unsure what the difference in cargo options between the two are, but i often see the heavier loads on lowboys, so maybe those are superior?

also, im fairly certain if i get a trailer, i should put the axles as forward as possible for better maneuvering? also i just like the look of far forward trailer wheels.

Thanks for the help

[Vanguard]

Definitely worth it. Quick job is about $20/km, Freight Market is about $40/km and owning your own trailer (Cargo Market) goes to $60/km. If you buy a double, you can make $120/km.

Best guide I've seen:
https://www.reddit.com/r/trucksim/comments/hy9wmx/a_rudimentary_guide_to_purchasing_a_trailer_in/

In a nutshell, if you have High Power Cargo DLC, buy a low bed and pull Yachts and Helicopters for days. Otherwise and insulated trailers and pulling vaccines is one of the highest $$$.

Edit: Whoops, thought I was in ETS forum. If you want to get a sense for the best paying job, just look at the freight market and sort by distance per mile. The prices will be the same relative to each other when owning a trailer, just higher. Plus, money is really no object in this game, it rains cash no matter what you do, so just pull what makes you happy.

Wheel config wise, all the game cares about is # axles, that determines how much you can pull. What configuration of axles, steerable, split, whatever, that's personal preference up to you, and you can change it anytime just like how you mod your truck.
https://www.reddit.com/r/trucksim/comments/j8iyrv/ats_reefer_trailer_comparison_sheet_max_cargo/

[sparks567jh]

Originally posted by Vanguard:

Plus, money is really no object in this game, it rains cash no matter what you do, so just pull what makes you happy.

I might just stick to freight market. i enjoy having the flexibility, and seeing many new types of new trailers wherever i go. its kinda enjoyable to just go with the flow and see where the top paying jobs take you.

[sparks567jh]

however, im tempted to maybe make a new profile, or buy a new truck with a matching truck and trailer. just need to find a truck that will look nice with a certain type of trailer

[MirkoC407]

Be careful what to own. Especially tankers and stakes will not find freight anywhere as they have just 2 loads. Boxes and reefers are very versatile, you will be able to get from anywhere to at least close to everywhere. 5 or 6 pages of contracts is normal. Goosenecks have the freights with best average payments and still descent amount of contracts. Getting away under load will always be possible. However, you will probably not always find something in the direction you want to. Flatbed will be the best compromise between them.

To get an idea just see the freight market and which trailers you find how often.

[Etny2k]

The ownable trailer with the most companies to haul to and from is probably the sliding tarp. You can haul from Walbert to a construction company with it.

[The Pitts]

Originally posted by Vanguard:

Quick job is about $20/km, Freight Market is about $40/km and owning your own trailer (Cargo Market) goes to $60/km

I have no idea where you got those figures but they are rather inaccurate. In both games every cargo has a price per kilometre (and yes, ATS uses km under the covers and then converts to miles) and with your own trailer you will earn 100% of that price, in the Freight Market it drops to 90% and for quick jobs to 65%.

Trying to derive the differences by looking at individual job lists is going to give a skewed view, although you can directly compare Quick Jobs and Freight Market since they are identical at any give point in game time, but I am 100% confident that the above is correct.

When you offset the costs in both real world time and in game money the difference between Cargo Market, Freight Market and Quick Jobs might actually be a wash. Quick Jobs allow you to just pick the best paying job on the board, jump in and drive with minimal expenditure of real world time over and above the time taken to drive from A to B (which we can assume is a constant for all three). Freight Market you have the cost of buying and maintaining your own truck, including fuelling it, whilst also taking more real world time driving from one yard to another or hamstringing your job choices to only the current yard. Cargo Market you add the cost of buying and maintaining the trailer(s) too with the same real world time requirements as the Freight Market, and possibly more if you need to drive to the nearest garage to switch trailer to be able to take a better paying job.

There is no way that I'm even going to try to do a real world time analysis of all this, but it is fairly obvious that even in in game money you are unlikely to make much extra from having your own trailer(s) because it will take dozens of jobs to amortise the cost.

TL;DR using an in game trailer may be worthwhile for a number of reasons but making more in game money is not one of them.

[Jelinobas]

If it's all about making money, whether as a player or for employed drivers:
Dry van (dry box) in 53', rocky or turnpike double, sometimes the triple is worth it.

[MirkoC407]

Originally posted by Jelinobas:

If it's all about making money, whether as a player or for employed drivers:
Dry van (dry box) in 53', rocky or turnpike double, sometimes the triple is worth it.

Have in mind, that rockies and triples can't go to California (more states to come further east) and turnpikes in only a handful.

[Jelinobas]

Who wants anything in California? ;) Since you earn least money.

[SecretEnemy]

A Rocky Mountain double dry van is probably the single most profitable trailer to own in terms of job availability for a LCV. Expect mileage rates north of $140/mi for OTR express hazmat.

[MirkoC407]

Originally posted by Jelinobas:

Who wants anything in California? ;) Since you earn least money.

In the game you earn equally everywhere. And it has some eye candy in the game, especially in the already reworked parts.

[Montana Ted]

Get the reefer. Think about it. If you only own one trailer, make it a reefer. Look at all the cargo availability.

[SecretEnemy]

Originally posted by Montana Ted:

Get the reefer. Think about it. If you only own one trailer, make it a reefer. Look at all the cargo availability.

The only thing that you really miss out on if you run a dry van are frozen foods. If you're looking for a trailer to maximize profits a dry van will fit more class 1&4 hazmat and fragile freight into the same size trailer due to the thinner walls and lower dry weight.

[Jelinobas]

Originally posted by MirkoC407:

Originally posted by Jelinobas:

Who wants anything in California? ;) Since you earn least money.

In the game you earn equally everywhere. And it has some eye candy in the game, especially in the already reworked parts.

It was all about making money. That's where dry vans are best. And bigger is better. Calculated on loading volume.

A few months ago I tested all trailer types with all possible garage locations. And Reefer may have done well in 2-3, at 95% Dry Vans are ahead.

Pure driving for fun is possible without a trailer anyway and then you can also drive through California. :) You shouldn't just refuel there.

[Haywire]

Looking to see what to stock at my yard for my employee drivers. From what I see:
-Dry van/reefer
-Sliding Tarp
-Lowboy or flatbed?