American Truck Simulator

American Truck Simulator

157 ratings
ULTIMATE ATS Beginners Guide (2024)
By McALEER GAMES
A comprehensive but simplified guide put together listing the most vital and important things for new and hopefully old players to know to start off their empire properly.
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Introduction:


Before you start your multi-million dollar logistics company, you will first have to complete quick jobs using provided trucks. You will have to earn at least $100,000 before buying your first truck.

As the player completes jobs and levels up, they will unlock skills. Skills can be used to upgrade fuel efficiency and long distance cargoes as well as unlocking hazardous, fragile, and important deliveries.

Eventually, once you gain enough, you can buy a new truck, trailer and or garage or upgrade your original, which will allow you to store more trucks. From this point you can hire NPCs from a recruitment agency and provide each with a truck from a truck dealership to earn even more money.
The Job Markets:


Jobs are divided into five different types: Quick Jobs, Freight Market, External Contracts, Cargo Market and External Market. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Quick Jobs:

In the Quick Jobs section, the player works as a driver-for-hire. You are presented with a variety of cargo options based on your XP level and the skills you have acquired. When you take a Quick Job, you get to drive the company's truck and your trailer and cargo is already hooked up and ready to go.

All of your expenses along the way are paid by the employer. This includes fuel, tolls and repair fees, but does NOT include ferry or train rides and personal fines such as red light and speeding offences.

Freight Market:

The Freight Market is the way to select jobs if you want to work with your own truck. Taking a job through the Freight Market yields a higher profit. Although you have to pay for your own fuel, motorway tolls and ferry or train rides, the higher pay greatly outweighs these expenses in most cases.

You have to also consider any additional expenses such as repair fees, as you are using your own truck. You will also need to ensure your truck is capable of carrying the weight of heavier cargoes, especially when going up-slope. When you select a job through the Freight Market, instead of being teleported, the pickup location will be marked on your GPS.

Once you arrive at the designated company or business, stop in the green marker and you will be able to select your desired job. It is possible to damage the trailer without damaging the cargo, but any cargo damage will count heavily against you in the Freight Market. A cargo damage will reduce your XP gained and greatly reduce your pay.

External Contracts:

External Contracts are very similar to the Freight Market. You still need your own truck and the same expenses and rewards apply. However, the jobs are synced to your World of Trucks account. When you are looking for these jobs, you can only see them in the cities near you, not the whole map. A circle around your truck location will indicate that. When you accept the contract, it's immediately given to you, unlike the Freight Market where you have to drive to the company to accept the contract.

In ATS, your speed is limited to 65 mph (105 km/h). The deadline for completing external contracts is in real time, not in-game time.

Cargo Market:

Cargo Market is also similar to the Freight Market. However, you can use your own trailer to deliver the cargo depending of what type of your trailer it is (Refrigerated, Logging, Flatbed, etc). Any damage to your trailer can be fixed at a repair shop at your own expense. Similarly, any cargo damage will reduce your XP and payments of damages of your truck and trailer. However, any damages of your truck and trailer can be fixed, but the cargo damage is PERMANENT, so you have to finish this job without any hits on your truck and trailer.

External Market:

External Market allows truckers to take jobs from World of Trucks with a player-owned trailer attached. When doing an External Market job, the same benefits and restrictions of External Market apply, including:

⭐ Only normal priority jobs are available.
⭐ Only jobs within a certain distance of the trucker's in-game position are displayed.
⭐ Due time is calculated in real-life time instead of in-game time.
⭐ Automatic speed limiter on trucks (65 mph).
Skills:


ATS features an experience point (XP) and levelling system, which allows your character to develop and improve skills as you progress through the game, by complete deliveries, in order to unlock new abilities and cargoes.

Most of the skills allow you to unlock more lucrative job offers. You can spend a new skill point after the player reaches a new level. The skills you can gain and improve are listed below.

Hazardous Materials Skill Tree:

  • Class 1 - Explosives: Allows for explosive goods, such as dynamite, fireworks & ammunition.
  • Class 2 - Gases: Class 2.1: Flammable gases, for example, acetylene or hydrogen. Class 2.2: Non-flammable gases, including cryogenic gases & liquids, such as nitrogen or neon. Class 2.3: Poisonous gases that may cause death or serious injury if inhaled, e.g., fluorine, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide.
  • Class 3 - Flammable liquids: Include very common, but also very dangerous fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, or kerosene
  • Class 4 - Flammable Solids - Class 4.1: Flammable solids, easily ignited nitrocellulose, magnesium, or safety matches, among others. Class 4.2: Spontaneously combustible aluminium alkyls or white phosphorus. Class 4.3: Dangerous when wet is sodium, calcium & potassium.
  • Class 6 - Toxic & Infectious Substances: Class 6.1: Poisons, substances harmful to human health, for instance, potassium cyanide, mercuric chloride or pesticides. Class 6.2: Bio-hazard - infectious materials, virus cultures, used needles, etc.
  • Class 7: Corrosive Substances: Substances that can dissolve organise tissue or severely corrode certain metals. As examples could be names such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide, or sodium hydroxide.

Allows you to carry dangerous goods. The skill is divided into 6 classes and 3 of them consist of sub-classes. They are all unlocked at once by obtaining the global class.

Long Distance Skill Tree:



Determines the maximum distance you can travel on duty. Initially, you are offered jobs with distances limited to 250 km (155 mi). Longer distances grant the player a wider choice of missions, as well as additional compensation and experience that increases with job distance.

High-Value Cargo Skill Tree:



All cargo is valuable but some loads are more worthwhile than others. The High-Value Cargo skill grants you access to new types of cargo which can be very profitable, including diggers, cars, yachts etc

Fragile Cargo Skill Tree:



The Fragile Cargo skill allows you to transport delicate cargoes, such as glass, electronics, or delicate machinery.

Just-In-Time Delivery Skill Tree:



Sometimes companies need to deliver something important quickly, so they call for a Just-in-Time job. Such work puts more stress on the driver, the delivery window is tighter, but the compensation eases your level of discomfort. Just-In-Time deliveries are broken down to two categories: Important deliveries which do not cut the estimated time of arrival (ETA) too much but do not give as much reward, and urgent deliveries which have a short ETA but give more experience.

Eco-Driving Skill Tree:



Improved Eco-Driving will help you minimise your fuel consumption. This skill decreases fuel consumption allowing you to save money and time by not having to refuel often.
Ranks & Levels:


You can reach levels by collecting experience points, which you get by finishing jobs. When you reach a new level, you get a skills point and new tuning parts. The highest level to reach is 150, but after level 36 you won't get new skills or truck parts anymore. Only items that will unlock after level 36 will be paint jobs for the trucks.

Newbie - Newbie is the 1st rank of the game.

⭐ Levels: 0 - 4
⭐ Color: Black

Enthusiast- Enthusiast is the 2nd rank of the game and comes after the Newbie rank.

⭐ Levels: 5 - 9
⭐ Color: Green

Workhorse - Workhorse is the 3rd rank of the game and comes after the Enthusiast rank.

⭐ Levels: 10 - 14
⭐ Color: Dark Brown

Entrepreneur - Entrepreneur is the 4th rank of the game and comes after the Workhorse rank.

⭐ Levels: 15 - 19
⭐ Color: Brown

Professional - Professional is the 5th rank of the game and comes after the Entrepreneur rank. It is also the last rank to unlock the last set of trucks.

⭐ Levels: 20 - 24
⭐ Color: Red

Instructor - Instructor is the 6th rank of the game and comes after the Professional Rank.

⭐ Levels: 25 - 29
⭐ Color: Dark Blue

18 Wheels of Skill - 18 Wheels of Skill is the 7th rank of the game and comes after the Instructor rank. This is the last rank to unlock the last set of paint jobs and trucks accessories.

⭐ Levels: 30 - 39
⭐ Color: Indigo

King of the Road - King of the Road rank is the 8th rank of the game and comes after the 18 Wheels of Skill rank.

⭐ Levels: 40 - 49
⭐ Color: Purple

Legend - Legend rank is the 9th rank of the game and comes after the King of the Road rank.

⭐ Level: 50 - 99
⭐ Color: Gray

Divine Champion - Divine Champion rank is the 10th and final rank of the game and comes after the Legend rank.

⭐ Level: 100 and higher (you can keep on trucking for however long you like)
⭐ Color: Light Blue
Convoy/CO-OP:


Convoy allows the player to create and host an online session with up to 8 players. Session hosts will automatically be made admins of these sessions, allowing them to ultimately control what kind of environment they want to have online, as well as having the ability to kick any trouble-makers from the session. You can also see, filter, browse and eventually join any of the available sessions that have been already created by your friends or other truckers.

Options and features the players be able to use and experience in Convoy:

⭐ Any player can host and create their own private sessions for up to 8 people.
⭐ Ability to haul the same contracts/jobs together from the same company and to the same destination.
⭐ Synchronised AI traffic.
⭐ Synchronised time and weather.
⭐ Synchronised paint jobs, truck accessories, cabin accessories, cargoes, and more.
⭐ Ability to communicate with other drivers via CB radio broadcast, quick replies, or text chat.
Recruitment Agency/Hiring Drivers:


A Recruitment Agency is a place where you can find drivers to hire for your virtual company. Recruiting your own drivers is a big step towards higher profits. Recruitment agencies can be found in most larger cities of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.

The agency charges a one-time fee of €1,500 for each driver you hire. Once you hire a driver, you have to choose which garage and truck that he/she will be based at. If you don't have an available truck, you can place the driver in an empty garage slot until you do.

When the driver has a truck he/she will start to work immediately. The driver will always attempt to schedule hauls from their home city out and then back again to minimise downtime. Trailers cannot be assigned to drivers, instead you can place them in garage slots and drivers will use them as needed.

Rating:

Under each driver's name you will find a rating that describes how efficient the driver is. As you train your driver in new skills and increase their training in existing skills, their rating will increase. As their rating increases, so too does their earned income.

Wage:

Below the rating you will find the starting wage that the driver is asking. Whenever your new driver completes a job, this fee will be deducted from the job income along with any fuel and toll expenses. As the driver gains rating and skills, the wage will go up accordingly.

Skills:

The final information displayed about each available driver is his/her skills. These will go up in time, but it is still a good idea to get a driver with a variety of skills. Long distance is the most wanted skill for making money, then ADR. Even eco driving can make a difference.

The default setting for skill improvements of a hired driver is "Balanced". You can find it on driver's detail in Driver Manager section of your Company Manager. It's recommended to change it to more specific skill, like Long distance or ADR.
Garages:


The headquarters of your company is a garage in your chosen city and can be changed by moving your character to another garage.

Upgrades and Costs:

Your first garage is set as your headquarters. This garage can only store one truck.

All subsequent garages that are bought start as a small garage with storage for three trucks. They can be bought for $180,000 in ATS. All purchased garages can be used for resting, refuelling (large garages only) and also as the destination point for Quick Travelling.

The upgrade from one truck to three trucks has an advantage: you can have more trucks so you can hire new NPC drivers from the Recruitment Agency to work for you. However, the upgrade costs $180,000 in ATS.

The next garage upgrade allows up to five trucks to be stored. Apart from the two more truck slots, a fuel pump will be added. The diesel price at this pump will cost 15% less, compared to the regular price. The price for this upgrade is significantly less, only $100,000 in ATS.
World of Trucks Account:


World of Trucks is the online platform you can connect your game/account to. It unlocks External Contracts and the External Cargo Market. These are jobs that are synced in real time with all players, meaning the same jobs show up for different people and generally no two people can take the same job.

External Contracts is the World of Trucks counterpart of the Freight Market, while External Market is the WoT counterpart of the Cargo Market.

More @ World Of Trucks Site[www.worldoftrucks.com]
Final Thoughts:
Hey thanks for reading this, if you found it useful consider liking, sharing and commenting and if you are feeling extra generous consider an award. Happy Gaming!

If you would like to support me in the work I do, consider sending me whatever you would like via PayPal, check my profile for the link.

My World of Trucks Profile: https://worldoftrucks.com/en/profile/6520575

Thank you!


19 Comments
GT182 27 Aug @ 4:20pm 
For me the 1.50 updated really messed up my ATS. Still not really happy as to what I have seen of the changes, and still not fully recovered from them. But I'm working on it. Hopefully 1.51 will help, or I'll start from scratch with mods and rebuild. I will not play without them as vanilla is no trucking simulation. SCS hasn't a clue on what trucking is and calls it a simulation. I many spent years over the road, so I'll say no more.
This is the only simulation I've run this long. 7 years and almost full time.
LightBlazeMC 29 Dec, 2023 @ 6:52pm 
Great guide thanks :DSTtophat:
azgoodaz 30 Oct, 2023 @ 7:58am 
Possible for you to update your wiki link? The wiki moved to https://trucksimulator.wiki.gg/ . Looks a lot better now, it doesn't load slow anymore because of the ads.
neededlotus5 18 Sep, 2022 @ 9:11pm 
just do the beginner odd jobs save up 25k get a loan from the bank pick up first delivery in your new day cab truck ( make sure it covers loan payment )rinse repeat
omadept686 15 Sep, 2022 @ 9:22pm 
hello, records for ATS is not showing up on world of truck. Is there something else needed to be done for it to record my deliveries.
McALEER GAMES  [author] 15 Sep, 2022 @ 8:33am 
@D4Wh33lm4n4L1f3, By default there isnt a setting however I am sure that one could edit the time scale using the map editor. I have never needed to use such a thing and by default I doubt most would hence why I did not touch upon this. I found more info on this, hopefully it is of use to you, please see this external link: https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/app/270880/discussions/0/3211505894146170281/ the mod itself has been removed or changed from the last addition to the STEAM WORKSHOP section
Chase Breen AKA AtomicWheelz 15 Sep, 2022 @ 7:58am 
How do you change the Time Scale in the game so it takes longer to drive from point A to Point B? That wasn't covered in your Guide, just curious if you knew how.....
McALEER GAMES  [author] 12 Sep, 2022 @ 12:55pm 
Hi@Sodros, as you explore and discover new locations you will be able to add new locations for your HQ and drivers etc it is possible to own multiple garages in game
Sordros 11 Sep, 2022 @ 8:37pm 
curious as to how u get more than one garage?
McALEER GAMES  [author] 9 Apr, 2022 @ 8:01am 
@JayPanda & LucieLane, glad you both find the guide useful, thank you x