Euro Truck Simulator 2 is not just a game about driving trucks, but a full-fledged economic simulator, where success depends on competent management of business processes. One of the key aspects of development in the game is hiring drivers to expand your fleet. However, many players face difficulties: from a lack of understanding of the mechanics of hiring to errors in the distribution of orders that lead to losses. This article will help you figure out how effectively hire a driver, assign a truck to it, optimize routes and avoid common mistakes that hinder the development of your transport company.

Unlike real business, where hiring drivers requires paperwork and compliance with labor standards, in ETS2 The process is automated, but has its own nuances. It is important to consider here driver skill level, type of truck, distance of transportation and even the reputation of your company. Wrong decisions can lead to equipment downtime, late delivery fees, or even bankruptcy. Next, we'll walk you through the entire process step by step, from pre-hiring preparation to the intricacies of managing a multi-driver fleet.

Preparing to hire: what you need to do before searching for a driver

Before you hire your first driver, make sure your company is ready to expand. Without preparation, you risk wasting the loan or getting an unprofitable employee. Here are the key points to check:

  • 🏢 Having your own garage. Drivers only work from garages owned by the player. Rented parking lots (for example, at gas stations) are not suitable for this. Minimum garage cost 180 000 € (depending on the city).
  • 💰 Financial cushion. In addition to the cost of the garage, we need a reserve for the driver’s salary (~1,500 €/week for beginners), fuel, repairs and possible fines. Recommended starting capital - no less 500 000 €.
  • 🚛 Free truck. The driver needs his own transport. You can buy used Volvo FH Classic (~80 000 €) or new Scania R (~150 000 €). Important: the truck must be assigned to garagewhere the driver will work.
  • 📦 Available orders. Check if there is a sufficient number of orders in the garage city (especially for long distances). If there are few orders, the driver will be idle.

Also note company reputation. The higher it is, the better drivers agree to work and the lower the risk of their dismissal. Reputation can be increased by completing orders on time and avoiding accidents. If your rating is lower 50%, drivers will demand higher wages or refuse offers.

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Before purchasing a garage, check the map for nearby industrial zones (e.g. Duisburg or Rotterdam). The more factories and warehouses nearby, the more orders your drivers will have.

Step-by-step instructions: how to hire a driver in ETS2

Once the preparation is complete, you can begin hiring. The process consists of several stages, each of which is important for a successful outcome. Let's look at them in detail.

  1. Open the company management menu. To do this, click F2 (default) or select the appropriate item in the main menu (office icon).
  2. Go to the “Drivers” tab. This displays a list of current employees and a button “Hire Driver”.
  3. Select driver type. The game has three categories:
    • 🟢 Rookie - low salary (~1,500 €/week), but a high risk of accidents and fines.
    • 🟡 Skilled - average salary (~2,500 €/week), fewer errors.
    • 🔴 Professional (Expert) - high salary (~4,000 €/week), minimal risks, but requires a high reputation of the company.
  • Assign a truck. From the drop-down list, select the vehicle that will be assigned to the driver. Make sure the truck not busy another employee and assigned to garage.
  • Confirm hiring. The system will show the weekly salary and possible bonuses (for example, a discount on fuel if the driver has a high level).

    • Check the company balance (minimum 500,000 €)

    Buy or rent a garage

    Register the truck to the garage

    Increase your company's reputation (minimum 30%)

    Select a driver by budget (beginner/experienced/professional) -->

    Once hired, the driver will appear on the list of employees. His status will be “Looking for job”until the system assigns a load to it. This process can take from a few minutes to an hour of game time, depending on the available orders in the city.

    Newbie (cheaper, but riskier)

    Experienced (price/quality balance)

    Professional (expensive, but reliable)

    I haven't hired one yet, I play alone -->

    How to assign an order to a driver: manual and automatic distribution

    B Euro Truck Simulator 2 There are two ways to distribute orders between drivers: automatic and manual. Each has its pros and cons. Let's look at both options.

    Automatic order distribution

    This is the default mode. The game itself selects orders for drivers based on:

    • 📍 Locations (the driver takes orders from the city where his garage is located).
    • 🚚 Truck type (for example, Scania R with trailer Lowboy will not be able to transport passenger cars).
    • ⏱️ Delivery time (the driver will not take the order if he does not manage to deliver the goods on time).

    Advantages of automatic mode:

    • ✅ Does not require constant monitoring.
    • ✅ Suitable for large fleets (10+ drivers).

    Disadvantages:

    • ❌ Drivers can take unprofitable orders (short distances with low fees).
    • ❌ There is no way to optimize routes to save fuel.

    Manual distribution of orders

    If you want maximum control over the process, go to the menu “Company Management” → “Orders” (“Jobs”). Here you can:

    1. Select an available order from the list.
    2. Assign it to a specific driver (if he has a free truck).
    3. View route, payment and delivery time.

    Advantages of manual mode:

    • ✅ You can choose the most profitable orders (for example, with a pay ratio ×1.5 for urgency).
    • ✅ Control over fuel consumption (you can avoid mountain routes to save money).
    • ✅ Opportunity specialize drivers (for example, one carries only dangerous goods, the other – fragile goods).
    How do I enable the display of the payment ratio?

    In the game settings (Options → Gameplay) enable the parameter «Show job income details». After this, a coefficient will be displayed next to each order (for example, ×1.2 or ×1.8), which will help you choose the most profitable routes.

    Manual mode takes longer, but optimizes profits by 20–30% compared to automatic distribution. This is especially important in the early stages of the game, when every euro counts.

    Optimizing the work of drivers: how to increase profits

    Hiring a driver is only half the battle. In order for it to bring maximum profit, you need to monitor several key parameters. Here are the main optimization methods:

    1. Choosing the right routes

    Not all orders are equally profitable. Priority should be given to:

    • 🌍 Long-distance transportation (payment increases in proportion to the distance).
    • ⚡ Urgent orders (coefficient ×1.5–×2.0).
    • 🛢️ Transportation of dangerous/heavy cargo (payment is 20–30% higher).

    2. Updating driver skills

    Over time, drivers gain experience and can upgrade their skills. Go to the menu “Drivers” → select an employee → “Skills”. Here's where you can improve:

    • 🛠️ Repair (reduces the cost of repairing the truck).
    • ⛽ Fuel economy (reduces consumption by 5–10%).
    • 🚦 Security (reduces the risk of accidents and fines).

    3. Use of modifications (mods)

    Some mods make fleet management easier:

    • 📊 «TruckersMP» — allows you to play with other players and take joint orders.
    • 🤖 «Automatic Gearbox for AI» — improves driver behavior on the road.
    • 🗺️ «ProMods» — adds new routes and cities, increasing the number of orders.

    It's also worth keeping an eye on driver fatigue. They work in real time 8 hours, after which they need rest. If you ignore this, the risk of accidents will increase. There is a fatigue indicator in the driver's menu - if it is red, it is better to give the employee a break.

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    The optimal ratio for a vehicle fleet is: 1 experienced driver to 2–3 beginners. Experienced employees take complex orders, and newcomers take simple but stable routes.

    Common mistakes when hiring drivers and how to avoid them

    Many players lose money due to common mistakes. Here are the most common ones and ways to prevent them:

    Error Consequences How to avoid
    Hire a driver without a free truck The employee is idle, wasting his salary Check the truck status in the menu "Garage"
    Beginner's choice for long-distance transport High risk of accidents and fines Give beginners short routes (<500 km)
    Ignoring the company's reputation Drivers demand high wages or leave Raise your reputation to 70%+ before hiring
    Buying a cheap used truck without repairs Constant breakdowns and downtime Before purchasing, check the condition of the equipment in the menu "Service"

    Another common problem is shortage of orders in the garage city. If the driver is constantly idling, consider the following options:

    • 🏙️ Move your garage to a busier city (e.g. Amsterdam or Munich).
    • 🚛 Buy a truck with a trailer "Container ship" - such orders are more common.
    • 🔄 Use fast orders (in the menu F7) to “accelerate” the city’s economy.
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    If a driver constantly receives fines, check his skill "Security". If it's lower 3/5, pump it up or transfer the employee to short routes.

    How to fire a driver and what to do with his truck

    If a driver is making losses or you need to downsize, you can fire him. To do this:

    1. Open menu "Drivers".
    2. Select an employee and click "Fire".
    3. Confirm the action. The driver will be fired and his truck will be released and return to the garage.

    Important details:

    • 💸 Upon dismissal not refundable salary paid for the current week.
    • 🚛 Truck Driver not sold automatically — it can be resold or assigned to another employee.
    • 📉 Dismissal reduces the company's reputation on 1–3%.

    If the truck is not needed after dismissal, it can be sold through the menu “Garage” → “Sell”. The price will be lower than the market price for 10–20%, but it's better than paying for its maintenance.

    What to do if the driver disappears from the map?

    Sometimes drivers get stuck due to a bug. To get it back:

    1. Save your game.
    2. Close and restart ETS2.
    3. If it doesn't help, fire and rehire the driver.

    Tips for scaling your fleet: from 1 to 10+ drivers

    When you have 1-2 drivers, running a company is easy. But when expanded to 5+ employees new challenges arise. Here are strategies for scaling effectively:

    1. Specialization of garages

    Place garages in different cities, taking into account specialization:

    • 🏭 Industrial cities (Duisburg, Leipzig) - for transporting steel, machinery, chemicals.
    • 🌾 Agricultural regions (Poznan, Brno) - for grain, fertilizers.
    • 🏗️ Port cities (Rotterdam, Hamburg) - for container transportation.

    2. Salary optimization

    Driver salaries are possible reduce (but not below the minimum for their level). To do this:

    1. Increase your company's reputation to 90%+.
    2. Improve your driver skills (especially "Loyalty").
    3. In the driver menu, press “Adjust Salary”.

    3. Automation with mods

    Mods that are useful for a large fleet include:

    • 📈 «Company Manager» — shows statistics for each driver.
    • 🤖 «AI Traffic Fix» — improves driver behavior on the road.
    • 🗂️ «Save Manager» — allows you to roll back a save if something goes wrong.

    When 10+ drivers manual control becomes ineffective. In this case:

    • Go to fully automatic mode.
    • Control only finances and reputation.
    • Check once a game week driver statistics (accidents, fines, profits).
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    The optimal ratio for a large vehicle fleet: 1 garage for 3–4 drivers. This minimizes equipment downtime and simplifies logistics.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about drivers in ETS2

    Is it possible to hire a driver without a garage?

    No, a garage is required. Drivers only work from garages owned by the player. Rented parking (for example, at a gas station) is not suitable. Minimum garage cost 180 000 € and allows you to hire up to 5 drivers (depending on size).

    How much does a driver earn per week?

    Profit depends on:

    • 🚛 Truck type (for example, Scania R brings on 15% more than DAF XF).
    • 🗺️ Routes (long-distance orders are more profitable than short-term ones).
    • 👷 Driver level (a professional earns from 30–40% more than a newbie).

    On average, one driver brings 5,000–15,000 €/week net profit (minus wages, fuel and repairs).

    What to do if the driver constantly gets into accidents?

    Possible causes and solutions:

    • 🚗 Low security skill → Upgrade it in the driver menu.
    • 🛣️ Difficult route (mountains, bad roads) → Assign simple routes to him.
    • 🚨 Game bug → Reload the save or fire/hire the driver again.

    If all else fails, replace the driver with a more experienced one.

    Can I give the driver my truck that I drive?

    No, a truck that you personally drive cannot be transferred to a driver. Needed for employees separate transport, assigned to the garage. You can:

    • Buy a new truck for the driver.
    • Move your current truck into the garage and buy another one.
    How can you improve your company's reputation for hiring the best drivers?

    Reputation increases when:

    • ✅ Orders completed on time (especially urgent ones).
    • ✅ Safe driving (no accidents or fines).
    • ✅ Using trucks with a branded coloring (gives a bonus +5% to reputation).

    Reputation decreases when:

    • ❌ Late delivery.
    • ❌ Accidents (especially with damage to other traffic participants).
    • ❌ Dismissal of drivers.

    For rapid growth, take orders with a coefficient ×1.5+ and avoid risky maneuvers.