American Truck Simulator Truck Tier List
Steven
While you travel across the limitless expanses of American Truck Simulator, you'll wonder which vehicle is best suited for your travels. The game features seven different manufacturers, each providing different models of trucks with unique transmissions, engines, and designs.
If you happen to collect a significant amount of money on your travels, then you can upgrade the technology and mechanics found inside your truck, however, you should carefully select the outside appearance based on the aesthetic you like, as this part of the truck can barely be changed. If you are interested in seeing the different types of vehicles on offer, then check out the list below.
Sadly, the Mack Anthem is somewhat of a disappointment in American Truck Simulator, as it is the only vehicle from the Mack Brand. While the visual appearance of the truck is powerful, nothing else about the vehicle is quite as useful.
With a maximum horsepower of 505, you'll move slower than almost any other truck in the entire game. While this is certainly nice for taking longer, scenic trips, it makes no sense to "upgrade" from a faster starter vehicle to a slower Mack Anthem.
As one of only two trucks that were released alongside the launch of American Truck Simulator, it is no surprise that the Kenworth 7680 leaves much to be desired. While this truck has a pleasing steep roof, the mechanics and interior of the vehicle are seriously lacking.
Specifically, the maximum horsepower is only 600, and this truck can only hold 6x2 and 4x2 trailers. Furthermore, while the truck comes equipped with GPS for easy navigation, you will not have a digital speedometer while driving this truck, so newer players may find it difficult to see their speed at a quick glance.
While the Freightliner Cascadia certainly doesn't live up to the name of a freight liner, it is still an incredibly strong early-game option. Specifically, this vehicle can not carry 8x4 or 8x6 trailers, it has an overall top horsepower of 605 and helpful technology like a built-in GPS.
Furthermore, this truck has a classic aesthetic complete with a curved roof and standard grill, providing a basic vibe that you would expect from a starter vehicle. Overall, this is certainly not the most versatile vehicle in the game, but the high-speed and helpful gadgets found in the Freightliner Cascadia will certainly help you find your footing within the game.
While the Volvo VNL 2014 may not boast the best stats in the game, it certainly has one of the most unique paint jobs in American Truck Simulator. While other trucks in the game have a classic look, the Volvo VNL 2014 has a sleek and modern aesthetic, complete with a dazzling bronze paint job.
Sadly, the Volvo VNL 2014 has no digital speedometer, no blind spot awareness, and only a maximum horsepower of 600. While this may not be the most customizable or fastest truck in the game, it certainly has a modern and striking appeal that complements any journey.
If you love combining functionality with a visually appealing color scheme, then you should seriously think about purchasing the Western Star 57X. While you can always pick a simplistic color palette, the unique paint job for this vehicle allows you to match the colors of your truck and trailer, thus creating a stunning combination for photo mode.
Furthermore, this truck is also upgraded with modern technology, such as a blind spot sensor, GPS, and digital speedometer. Sadly, while this truck does seemingly have everything on offer, remember that it only has a maximum horsepower of 600, meaning that you'll be trading some speed for functionality.
As there are two different Peterbilt trucks within American Truck Simulator, both vehicles take on distinctive visual appearances. The Peterbilt 579 is focused on providing a modern aesthetic, with a sleek nose and roof that makes the truck look incredibly aerodynamic.
This truck also comes equipped with modern technologies, such as a GPS and a digital speedometer that will safely and easily track your progress while making deliveries. Sadly, while this vehicle certainly provides many advantageous upgrades, remember that you can not carry 8x4 or 8x6 trailers with the Peterbilt 579, severely limiting the amount of cargo this vehicle can deliver.
While the Kenworth W900 is certainly similar looking to the Peterbilt 389, not everything about this truck is exactly the same. Specifically, the Kenworth W900 has a large roof equipped with two powerful exhaust vents, thus making the entire vehicle significantly larger.
While the truck is certainly large, featuring a long front nose and grill, the vehicle still has 620 max horsepower, so you can comfortably travel at top speeds. Sadly, if you are a fan of the digital speedometer, then remember that the Kenworth W900 will never come with this dashboard attachment.
Inspired by a classic all-American truck, the International Lonestar is a red vehicle with a curved roof and a thick metal grill. This vehicle is manufactured in the United States and even comes equipped with a GPS and a Digital speedometer.
Furthermore, with horsepower between 400 and 605, this truck can seriously take off at high speeds and consistently carry cargo across the map. With that being said, there are a few vehicles that can travel at faster speeds, so you should pick the International Lonestar if you truly appreciate the aesthetic of the truck.
One of the greatest aspects of the Western Star 49X is its capability to hold almost every trailer size in the game, so you'll be able to carry almost any amount of cargo. Furthermore, this truck also has a maximum horsepower of 605, meaning that you can quickly traverse around the world while making deliveries.
The Western Star 49X also has a bright red paint job and a curved roof that makes the entire vehicle seamlessly glide across any highway. Interestingly, this is one of the few trucks in American Truck Simulator that combines a sleek modern roof with a boxier grill and nose, creating an interesting visual juxtaposition.
Widely regarded as the best truck in the entire game, the Peterbilt 389 certainly has a unique and strong aesthetic. The striking, long nose of this vehicle ends in a metal grill, while the roof of the truck is low and curved, giving the entire truck a streamlined horizontal aesthetic.
With a maximum horsepower of 625, this is easily the fastest car in the entire game, while still having a full range of different trailer options. No matter what you choose to deliver, you'll certainly be traveling in style in the Peterbilt 389.
Here, you can cycle through a number of handy external cameras for better spatial visibility and awareness, but you'll also find a real-time read-out of your truck's overall health. Travel exerts a constant power drain on its various life support systems, meaning you'll need to get up and stretch your legs every now then, prising open panels and replacing batteries so you don't, say, freeze to death in the icy embrace of space when your climate control goes awry, or catapult indelicately into the ceiling when your gravity generator fails. Additionally, take too many prangs and you're liable to have oxygen squirting through holes where holes shouldn't be, meaning it's time to don a space suit, barrel out the airlock and start patching things up as you careen balletically (or, more likely, alarmingly) around in zero-g.
This piece is part of Wishlisted, a week-long series on Eurogamer covering some of our favourite games from February 2024's Steam Next Fest. You can read all the other pieces from the series at our Wishlisted hub.
I wouldn't call save editing the engine from a P389 or W900 into a different truck unrealistic though, considering how modular US trucks are built, its just not an option you would have from an official dealer.
What matters most is the transmission and chassis type. For heavy haul I would pick the Allison TC10 or the 18 speed transmission, though a 13 (or 12, incase you are driving a VNL) speed will usually do just fine too.
Up to personal preference, myself I drive the Volvo or 389. SCS should also be adding a International Lonestar to the game soon, I figured it was going to be with the Washington DLC release but it may be out when 1.35 releases.
Hello,
I'm not an expert in this domain, but I personally think the Volvo VNL is one of the best truck in American Truck Simulator (of course, it's only my point of view), mostly because I like its design and the engines you can put are powerful.
I hope that my answer helped you to choose.
As others have said the trucks really aren't too different as far as power goes. I personally prefer the Volvo because it has the shortest wheelbase making it a bit easier to maneuver, especially as a day cab.
Trucks are the key component of Euro Truck Simulator 2 which allow you to transport goods from one location to another. There are currently 7 truck manufacturers and 20 different models in Euro Truck Simulator 2, all of which can be serviced and upgraded in service shops. For information on where to purchase the trucks, visit the truck dealer or used truck dealer articles.
Models marked with * and in italic lettering are initially only available in a used state from the used truck dealer feature. After you bought a used one you can buy this model as new from the truck dealer when you select "Fleet" (or "My Fleet Configurations" if buying online) instead of "Stock Offers" and as long as you have this model in your posession (since update 1.49).
Every truck brand in Euro Truck Simulator 2 offers at least two or more base models (as of Update 1.34). Every model has a series of options that can be upgraded by the player's choice. As you increase in level, higher tier upgrade options become available. Normally, a truck can be upgraded with the options below:
With American Truck Simulator slowly growing to contain more and more of the USA with each expansion, more and more players are getting on board. Like most popular simulator games, it has a dedicated fanbase that will look to enhance the simulation experience as much as it can. Thankfully, the developers of American Truck Simulator have made this very easy for players, allowing full Steam Workshop support of the game, and the community has created a whole bunch of enhancements.
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