Overview
This guide will try to explain a few startegsy one may pursue when considering where to invest Level Points. I do not have the ulrtimate guide here, but it should give you some advice for what to do when.It only aims at strategies for stock game. If you use a Rebalancing mod these are unlikely to work.
The Basics: Skills
There is a total of 6 Skills in the game with 6 Levels each. Quick arithmatic shows us that at level 36 you max out on skills. The effects are explained in detail ingame, so here are just the basics.
- Hazardous Cargo: Unlocks various hazardous Cargo for transport. Transporting such a good yields a higher per-distance pay and gives a flat XP bonus.
- Long Distance: Allows you to drive longer distances. Gives bonus pay if exceeding a certain distance and a flat XP bonus.
- High Value Cargo: Allows transport of loads that have a high value. Bonus pay increases by 5% per skill level.
- Fragile Cargo: Allows transport of loads that can break easily. Bonus pay increases by 5% per skill level.
- Just-In-Time Delivery (JIT): You need to diliver your cargo within a strict timeframe. There are Important and Urgent deliverys increasing by 3 or 5 % per skill level. Urgent deliverys unlock at level 2.
- Fuel Economy: Decreases Fuel Consumption by 5% per skill level.
The Early Game: Pedal to the metal
To understand why to pick which skills in the beginning it is important to realize one thing up front: Basic Income for a job in both Cash and XP is tied directly to distance. Knowing that the first skill you should invest in is Distance. For the current state of the game (California, Nevada and Arizona) it suffices to invest 3 or 4 Points here, it will allow you to do jobs covering the entire map.
Step 2 should be to increase JIT to 2 Points, thus allowing Urgent deliverys. The last step in the Early game is to invest 1 Point each in Hazardous, High Value and Fragile Cargo so you have access to all kinds of content here.
The order in which to do these skills is flexible in this early stage. if you’d rather grab a Cargo Skill on level 2 thats fine. Mix and match as you please, but make sure you get the skils I recomend.
You are now around level 9 and are proceeding into the Midgame.
The Midgame: Combining skills for fun and profit
Starting at level 9 investing your skills becomes a somewhat strategic choice. Knowing how some of these skills work together will help you pick a strategy.
For the Purpose of skills working together I differenciate into the following:
- Cargo Type (Haz, Value, Fragile, Generic)
- Contract Conditions (Distance and Time/Urgency)
- Fuel Economy
From the Cargo list you will always have at least 1. You can actively select your cargo type depending on availability and preference. Note here, that all 4 types can stand on their own, however there can also be High Value Fragile Cargo. If both skills are maxed and combined this can net you a cash bonus of 60%.
Contract Conditions are more passive in terms of the grant. You always get a bonus for long runs and when you finish a JIT job you also get rewarded. These can stand with all Cargo types and therefore are a bonus to the job.
Fuel Economy is the odd one here. While all others add cash to your account it aims to minimize your losses in fuel expanses by a total of 35%. Therefore it is only interesting if you have your own truck and you are in a fine tuning phase. Unless you use a mod disregard this Skill until level 31.
You should also factor into your strategy when you want to buy your first truck for yourself.
The Midgame Strategies
There are 2 Basic Strategies both with a common root:
Root: Finish up JIT
Since JIT Deliverys can go with any type of cargo it is a great way to boost your income. I therefore recomend maximizing this skill now. If you don’t feel up to it tho you may just go with one of the following strategies.
Early Truck Haz Chain
If you have your own truck you will want to avoid sitting idle for long distances. So you want to be able to transport as much goods as possible. Maxing out this skill will help you to that end and allow a solid income.
Mixed Cargo Bonus Getter
Leveling up both High Value and Fragile Cargo will increase their respective yields steadily. combined they can add half your regular job income, and with JIT along they can almost double it.
The Endgame: 5 Steps to finish
By now you should at least be level 18 to 23 and have 2 or 3 skills maxed. You should easily be able to buy your own truck without needing credit and support it for a while.
For the Endgame I recomend the following order:
Increase distance and JIT if needed
If you are playing with mods or DLC’s you will have trips that can span more than level 3 can cover. I would recomend now to increase this skill as needed. Also Reconsider JIT now. You should have enough experience to do those jobs now.
Finish the Skills you left earlier
Finish the Skills from the midgame Section that you have not touched, so you are flexible to accept any job and get rewarded well.
Check distances again, Finish JIT
If you had no need so far or chose not to go loinger distances you should reconsider now. Also finish JIT now. no point in waiting any longer.
Fill up Fuel Economy
By now you have your own truck and invested in all other income Categories to max them out or get the distance you need. You can now start cutting your minor fuel losses and be more eco friendly.
Fill out Distance
There’s no point in waiting, even if you don’t need it.
Final notes and credits
These are of course just some basic strategy ideas for leveling. if you want to try a balanced approach go ahead and try. It sure will be more difficult and time consuming, but you’ll get there eventually.
Summing up I recomend first to get started in every Skill, beginning with 3 Points in distance, then maxing out JIT to add passive bonus. After that pick a Type of cargo and max that out. Check For distance in between. After maxing out the alternate Cargo go green and start to save fuel.
Thanks for Reading.
Credits:
Guide Icon by Hopstarter under CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0[www.iconarchive.com]