SCS Software launched American Truck Simulator in February 2016 with California and Nevada, then spent the next decade adding states one map expansion at a time, from Arizona through Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. The world runs at roughly 1:20 scale, so a Los Angeles to Denver haul takes real hours rather than real days, and the 80,000 pound federal gross weight limit governs what you can legally put behind the cab. You start as a hired driver taking quick jobs, and end up running a company with garages, hired drivers and a fleet you specified engine by engine.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | California | Job types and the freight market basics | High Value Cargo | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Texas | Driver skills and ADR training mastery | High Value Cargo | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Wyoming | Garages, hired drivers and company growth + gear | Long Distance or High Value Cargo | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Montana | Build optimization | Long Distance | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Oregon | Min-max | Long Distance or ADR hazardous materials | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (California)
Base game territory, from Los Angeles and San Diego up through Bakersfield and Fresno to San Francisco, Sacramento and Redding. The most varied road network in the game, mixing eight lane urban freeway with Highway 101 coastline.
Level/Difficulty: Base game, level 1 onward Key Rewards: Dense job market, short profitable runs between major cities
What to Do in California
- Learn Job types and the freight market. Quick jobs use a company truck and pay immediately, while freight market and cargo market jobs need your own truck and trailer and pay considerably more. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick High Value Cargo as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Buy your own trailer before buying a second truck. Owning the trailer means you keep the full delivery fee on freight market jobs instead of splitting it, and that difference funds the rest of the company faster than another cab ever will.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Peterbilt 389 or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Job types and the freight market fundamentals
- High Value Cargo selected and functional
- California main content cleared
- Ready for Texas
Phase 2: Early Game (Texas)
The biggest single map expansion at release, running from El Paso across to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin with long empty stretches through Amarillo and Lubbock. Distances here are where Long Distance skill points earn their keep.
Level/Difficulty: Map expansion DLC Key Rewards: High paying long hauls, oil and industrial freight
What to Do in Texas
- Work on Driver skills and ADR training. Experience spends into Long Distance, High Value Cargo, Fragile Cargo, Just In Time Delivery, Ecodriving and ADR hazardous materials classes. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Peterbilt 389 if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Place your first garage centrally rather than in your favourite city. A garage in Nevada or Utah puts hired drivers within reach of far more of the map than one in the corner of California, and driver income depends on job availability near their base.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Wyoming.
- Consider whether Long Distance might suit your playstyle better than High Value Cargo.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Driver skills and ADR training integrated into gameplay
- Peterbilt 389 acquired
- Texas fully cleared
- Ready for Wyoming
Phase 3: Mid Game (Wyoming)
Wide open high country between Cheyenne, Casper, Rock Springs and Sheridan, with mountain grades and winter feeling roads. Light traffic and long sightlines make it a favourite for relaxed driving.
Level/Difficulty: Map expansion DLC Key Rewards: Scenic long runs, mining and energy cargo
What to Do in Wyoming
- Master Garages, hired drivers and company growth. Buying and upgrading a garage gives you slots for trucks and hired drivers who run their own jobs while you sleep. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Kenworth W900. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Spend early skill points on Long Distance. Almost every job in the game has a distance component, so the skill applies constantly, while specialised skills such as Fragile Cargo only pay on the jobs that use them.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Truck configuration and engine choice for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Garages, hired drivers and company growth mastered
- Kenworth W900 acquired or in progress
- Wyoming fully cleared
- Ready for Montana
Phase 4: Late Game (Montana)
Big sky country linking Billings, Missoula, Helena, Bozeman and Great Falls, with serious elevation change and some of the best scenery SCS has built. Grades here reward engine power and early braking.
Level/Difficulty: Map expansion DLC Key Rewards: Mountain routes, timber and agricultural loads
What to Do in Montana
- Finalize your build. You should be running Long Distance or High Value Cargo with optimized gear.
- Kenworth W900 should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Take ADR training as soon as you can afford the points. Hazardous loads pay a premium over identical distances, and the only real cost is that you must drive more carefully to avoid damage penalties.
- Fatigue, fines and cargo damage optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Oregon.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Kenworth W900 upgraded to max
- Montana fully cleared
- Ready for Oregon
Phase 5: Endgame (Oregon)
The 2018 expansion and still one of the best looking, covering Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford and the coast road. Forest cargo and river valleys give it a different feel from the desert states.
Level/Difficulty: Map expansion DLC Key Rewards: Forestry freight, coastal and mountain scenery
What to Do in Oregon
- Oregon tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Refuel before mountain grades rather than after. Climbing through Wyoming or Montana burns fuel far faster than flat interstate running, and the gaps between stations in those states are long enough to strand you.
- The endgame loop: run Oregon, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with ADR hazardous materials for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Fatigue, fines and cargo damage mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Oregon fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Taking quick jobs forever because they need no trailer, and never accumulating the capital to buy a truck that pays double.
- Buying a 600 horsepower engine for flat dry van work, where a 450 does the same job and burns less fuel.
- Ignoring cargo damage on fragile loads, then watching a long haul fee evaporate into penalties at the dock.
- Placing every garage in the same corner of the map so hired drivers compete for the same small pool of jobs.
- Speeding through small towns where the limit drops sharply, which is where most players collect their fines.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Buy your own trailer before buying a second truck. Owning the trailer means you keep the full delivery fee on freight market jobs instead of splitting it, and that difference funds the rest of the company faster than another cab ever will.
- Place your first garage centrally rather than in your favourite city. A garage in Nevada or Utah puts hired drivers within reach of far more of the map than one in the corner of California, and driver income depends on job availability near their base.
- Spend early skill points on Long Distance. Almost every job in the game has a distance component, so the skill applies constantly, while specialised skills such as Fragile Cargo only pay on the jobs that use them.
- Take ADR training as soon as you can afford the points. Hazardous loads pay a premium over identical distances, and the only real cost is that you must drive more carefully to avoid damage penalties.
- Refuel before mountain grades rather than after. Climbing through Wyoming or Montana burns fuel far faster than flat interstate running, and the gaps between stations in those states are long enough to strand you.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More American Truck Simulator Guides
- American Truck Simulator American Truck Simulator Overview
- American Truck Simulator Best Builds
- American Truck Simulator Tier List
- American Truck Simulator Beginner's Guide
- American Truck Simulator Tips & Tricks
- American Truck Simulator Weapons Guide
- American Truck Simulator Combat Guide
- American Truck Simulator Boss Guide
- American Truck Simulator Maps & Locations
- American Truck Simulator Crafting Guide
- American Truck Simulator Classes & Characters
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