Euro Truck Simulator 2: Complete Guide

Everything you need to go from your first quick job to running a profitable trucking company across Europe: driving basics, money, skills, company growth, DLC maps and the latest update features.

Researched September 2026 — current as of update 1.61 (released 17 September 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Start with Quick Jobs. You have no truck at the beginning. Quick Jobs give you a pre-configured truck and trailer with running costs covered by the job, and they earn XP while you learn the roads.
2. Take the loan once you have a few levels. Buying your own truck turns on Freight Market jobs (much better pay per km) and later lets you build a company. The bank loan is the standard way to afford the first truck; repay it steadily rather than all at once if you need the cash for garages.
3. Your first skill points go into ADR and Long Distance. They unlock the most jobs and the best-paying ones. High Value Cargo and Fragile Cargo come next.
4. Drive clean, not fast. Cargo damage cuts your payout, and speeding, red lights, driving without lights at night and collisions all trigger fines. A late delivery costs less than a wrecked trailer.
5. Sleep when the fatigue icon appears. Rest stops, truck stops, parking areas and your garage let you sleep. Since 1.60 fatigue is split into a Rest State (bed icon, depletes with long driving) and a Mandatory Break (P icon: up to 10 hours of driving before 9 consecutive hours of rest are required).
6. Set up your controls before your first long run. Automatic transmission and a controller or wheel are fine; you can move to manual/H-shifter later. Mirrors and seat position matter more than you think.
7. Buy a small garage early, then hire drivers. Hired drivers earn money while you are offline or on your own jobs. This is the core of the mid-game economy.
8. Stuck? Use Tow to Road. Added in 1.59, it pulls you back onto a safe road for a small fee instead of forcing a full-price tow to the nearest service.

Controls Cheat Sheet (keyboard defaults)

Defaults can differ between layouts and SCS has changed a few over the years, so confirm in Options - Controls if a key does nothing.

Tips: bind the retarder and cruise control speed up/down to something comfortable. On a controller, the 1.59 update substantially improved D-pad and menu navigation.

How Money Works

Job types

Rules of thumb

• Longer is better. Pay scales with distance, and long hauls also mean less time in menus, docking and loading. The Long Distance skill exists for a reason.
• Special cargo pays extra. ADR (dangerous goods), high value and fragile cargo carry bonuses, which is why those skills are worth leveling.
• Damage is a cost. Truck damage is repaired at service stations or your garage; cargo damage reduces the delivery reward. The 1.59 Advisor Widgets (damage and finances panels in the Service menu) make it easy to see what a sloppy trip actually cost you.
• Fuel is cheaper in some countries. Fuel prices vary by country, so fill up where it is cheap before crossing borders.
• Fines add up. Speeding cameras, running red lights, missing lights at night and collisions all cost money.

Skills: What to Level First

You earn one skill point per level. There are six skills.

Suggested order: 2-3 points in ADR and Long Distance, then High Value Cargo, then round everything out. Hired drivers have their own skills, so your personal skills mainly affect the jobs you take yourself. The Skills screen was redesigned in 1.59 for clarity.

Building a Trucking Company

1. Buy your first truck. A mid-spec tractor with a strong engine and a decent gearbox is enough. You do not need the top model on day one.
2. Buy a garage in a central city. Garages come in small, upgraded and large sizes. Choose a hub city with many companies around it so jobs are short to reach.
3. Hire drivers and buy them trucks. Each driver needs a truck and a slot in a garage. Drivers improve over time.
4. Expand into more cities. More garages in different regions spread your drivers across the map and let you pick their home base.
5. Buy trailers once you can afford them. Owning trailers unlocks the Cargo Market and lets your company handle more work.

Economy tips:

• Early on, every spare euro should go to trucks and drivers rather than cosmetics.
• Driver income is passive; your own driving is where you level skills and XP.
• If cash gets tight, pause expansion and pay down the loan so interest does not eat profits.

Driving Well

• Braking distance is long. A loaded truck needs far more room than you expect. Start braking early, especially downhill.
• Use the engine brake and retarder on descents instead of riding the service brake.
• Mirror discipline. Before lane changes and turns, check your mirror. Trailers cut corners; swing wide on right turns.
• Night and weather. Turn on your headlights at dusk (a fine is issued if you drive in the dark without them). Wipers and slower speeds in rain.
• Parking. The game offers easy, medium and hard parking spots at delivery. Hard parking gives more XP. Practice reversing in the Driving Academy - update 1.58 added a Double Trailer Handling module that teaches forward driving, maneuvering and reversing with doubles.
• Physics. Update 1.58 reworked vehicle behavior physics and collisions, so if you are coming back from a long break the trucks respond differently than older muscle memory expects.

What Changed Recently

Upcoming (in development per the SCS blog, no release date confirmed): the Coaches DLC and a Mode Switch system that splits play into Truck Mode, Car Mode and Coach Mode, plus map DLCs such as Soul of Anatolia and Isle of Ireland.

Map DLCs: Where to Start

The base game covers much of Central and Western Europe plus the UK. Map expansions add regions:

Buying order for most players: Vive la France! and Italia (they complete the heart of the map), then Iberia or Scandinavia, then whatever scenery appeals to you. DLCs frequently go on sale on Steam.

Multiplayer

• Convoy is the official built-in multiplayer for small groups of friends. Everyone needs matching DLCs to drive in the same regions.
• TruckersMP is a popular community mod for large public servers. It has its own rules and moderation, and is separate from the official game.
• World of Trucks links your profile to SCS events (World of Trucks community events often reward cosmetic items for completing deliveries).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Buying the most expensive truck first. Start mid-range, put the rest into garages and drivers.
• Ignoring fatigue. Driving while exhausted causes screen blackouts and crashes. Sleep when asked.
• Speeding through cameras and red lights. Fines stack fast in cities.
• Never checking the route before accepting. Jobs routed through ferries or tolls, or roads your DLC set does not cover, can be long and costly.
• Parking on hard mode before you can reverse. Take the easy spot until you practice in the Driving Academy.
• Riding the service brake downhill. Heavy loads and mountain passes need engine brake, retarder and lower gears.
• Mixing game versions and mods. After each update, outdated mods commonly break saves. Disable mods before updating and re-enable only updated ones.

Advanced Tips

• Hub strategy: put garages in cities with many depots in a tight cluster; drivers do shorter repositioning and earn more consistently.
• Manual gearbox for mountains: holding a lower gear on long descents saves brakes and prevents runaway speed.
• Tune your truck to the job: heavy cargo needs torque; long flat runs reward fuel-efficient gearing. Chassis and axle configuration affect which trailers you can take.
• Use the Route Advisor pages and Job Details widget: the 1.60 widget shows cargo, weight, destination and income; the GPS now shows estimated arrival day and time, which helps plan rest stops before deadlines.
• Save before difficult parking or ferries if you are chasing clean runs.
• Radio: the 1.60 Game Radio stations are built into the game, and its widget shows track and artist; the classic internet radio list is still there if you prefer real stations.
• Keep a backup of your profile folder (Documents - Euro Truck Simulator 2 - profiles) before experimental betas.

FAQ

What is the current version of Euro Truck Simulator 2? As of late September 2026 the live version is 1.61, released 17 September 2026 after an open beta. It added Proximity Exploration, the Volvo FH Series 6 100 Year Edition, and a livestock trailer rework.

How do I make money fast in ETS2? Take long Freight Market jobs with ADR or high value cargo, drive without damage or fines, and invest early in a garage and hired drivers for passive income.

Which skill should I level first? ADR and Long Distance. They unlock the most and best-paying jobs.

How do I get unstuck without paying a huge tow? Use the Tow to Road option added in 1.59; it returns you to a safe road for a small fee.

Can I play ETS2 with friends? Yes. Use Convoy (official) for small groups with matching DLCs, or the community mod TruckersMP for large public servers.

Is it worth buying the map DLCs? If you enjoy the base game, yes. Vive la France! and Italia are the most commonly recommended first purchases because they fill in the core of the map.

Do I need a steering wheel? No. Keyboard, mouse steering and controllers all work; a wheel just adds immersion and finer control.

Sources

• SCS Software blog: Euro Truck Simulator 2 1.60 Update Release
• SCS Software blog: Euro Truck Simulator 2 1.59 Update Release
• SCS Software blog: Euro Truck Simulator 2 1.58 Update Release
• SCS Software blog: Euro Truck Simulator 2 1.61 Update Release
• SCS Software blog: September 2026 archive (Coaches and Mode Switch)
• Truck Simulator Wiki: ETS2 Update 1.58