How to sell a car in ETS 2: step-by-step instructions

Selling a car in Euro Truck Simulator 2 through the standard menu is only possible for equipment owned by the player and assigned to one of his garages. If you want to get rid of a truck that is idle or has ceased to meet the logistics needs of your virtual company, you need to access fleet management via a computer in any owned garage. The inability to complete a transaction often occurs due to the fact that the player is trying to sell a leased vehicle or a car hired with a driver, since these assets do not belong to you by right of ownership.

⚠️ Attention: Selling equipment at a car dealership or through the company’s menu returns only part of its real value, so be sure to evaluate the financial losses before the transaction.

The process of selling property in the game is strictly regulated by the mechanics of the simulator and does not allow you to set prices yourself, as in the real market. You will have to agree with the current assessment of the system, which depends on the mileage, wear of parts and the configuration of a particular instance. Before clicking the confirm button, it’s worth checking whether the vehicle has a loan, although in the basic mechanics of ETS 2, debts hang on the company as a whole, and not on a specific truck.

Preparing equipment for sale

Before starting the sales process, you need to make sure that the selected truck is in the right location and has the correct status. Vehicle must be parked in a garage that you own, and not just parked on the side of the road or in someone else's lot. If the vehicle is being used by a hired driver, he will first need to be withdrawn from the line or wait until the end of the current contract to free up the asset.

An important step is checking the technical condition, although it is possible to sell a broken car directly, but its estimated value will be critically low. Game mechanics automatically calculate the residual price by subtracting the cost of necessary repairs and the percentage of wear and tear on the engine, gearbox and chassis. If the truck has expensive tuning installed, such as chrome packages or powerful engines, their cost will also be taken into account, but with a discount factor.

• 🚛 Make sure the truck is physically inside your garage area.
• 💰 Check the company's current balance to understand how critical the sale is.
• 🔧 Assess the need for repairs before putting it up for sale.
• 📄 Make sure that the vehicle is not leasing in modifications with a realistic economy.

There is a caveat with trailers: if a company-owned trailer is docked to a truck, the system may require it to be unhooked first or sold as a separate lot. In the standard configuration, the truck sales menu does not include the automatic sale of the entire road train, so trailers often remain hanging separately on the property list. Ignoring this point may result in you selling the tractor, while the trailer remains ownerless or blocks the slot in the garage.

Selling through the company management menu

The main way to get rid of excess traffic is to use a computer inside the office of any garage you own. Go to the table with the monitor, press the interaction key (default E) and select “Transport Manager” or “Company Management”. In the window that opens, go to the “Trucks” tab, which will display a complete list of your equipment, divided by garage.

Select the desired city and find the specific model you plan to implement in the list. By clicking on the line with the model name (for example, Scania S or Volvo FH), you will see detailed information about mileage, date of purchase and current market price. At the bottom of the window there is a “Sell” button, clicking on which initiates a transaction. The system will immediately show the amount you will receive in your account and ask for final confirmation.

⚠️ Attention: Once the sale is confirmed in the company menu, it will not be possible to return the truck, so double check the VIN or listing number.

The peculiarity of this method is that it allows you to sell equipment en masse or selectively without leaving the garage. This is especially convenient when rebranding a fleet, when you need to quickly replace old ones European models for newer American tractors. However, if the truck is stolen or lost (disappearing bug), it may not be on the list, and it will not be possible to sell it this way.

Selling a car through a car dealership

An alternative method that is often overlooked is selling the vehicle directly from the dealer's showroom. To do this, you need to physically drive the truck to the territory of a dealership of any brand (DAF, Mercedes-Benz, MAN and others). Go to the "Buy a Truck" or "Configurator" counter, but instead of buying a new one, select the "Sell My Truck" option.

Unlike the company menu, here you see a visualization of the process and can compare the proceeds with the prices of new models in the same showroom. The interface will prompt you to select one of your trucks within range and show the final transaction amount. This method is convenient because it allows you to immediately, within one session, sell your old vehicle and buy a new one, minimizing downtime.

• 🏢 Find the nearest car dealership of any brand on the map.
• 🚚 Drive the truck you are selling exactly into the dealer’s parking area.
• 💱 Compare the dealer’s offer with the price on the company’s menu (they may differ).
• ✅ Confirm the transaction through the sales representative interface.

If you try to sell Kel-B in the salon Volvo, the system may not offer a sell option and you will have to search for a general dealer or use the garage menu. Also, car dealerships often offer temporary discounts or bonuses, which can indirectly affect the profitability of the exchange.

Features of selling leased vehicles

Many newbies face the problem of not being able to find the sell button for a particular truck. This happens because rented transport (Quick Job trucks) are not the property of the player. Such machines are taken for temporary use for the duration of one contract or for a certain period in freelance mode.

Rented trucks cannot be sold, modified in a workshop (except for refueling), or permanently assigned to a garage. They are automatically returned to the rental company's pool after the task is completed or the rental period expires. If you see equipment listed as “Rental” or it does not appear in the sale menu, then you do not own it.

Is it possible to sell cargo and not a car?

In the standard game, you cannot sell cargo; you can only fulfill the contract or refuse it with a fine. However, economic mods sometimes allow cargo to be sold on the black market.

There is also the concept of “hire with driver,” where you hire a truck with a virtual driver. In this case, the equipment also often remains the property of the leasing company until full redemption, if the corresponding option is enabled in the difficulty settings. Check your ownership status in your company profile to avoid confusion when trying to manage someone else's property.

The influence of wear and tuning on the price

The final amount you receive upon sale directly depends on the condition of the components and assemblies. Engine wear, transmission and chassis is calculated based on total mileage and driving style. Frequent accidents, overloads and driving at high speeds accelerate degradation, which significantly reduces the liquidity of the asset.

Installed tuning, such as aerodynamic body kits, leather interiors, powerful engines and retarder boxes, increases the initial cost, but upon sale returns only a percentage of the investment. Exclusive paintings and skins purchased with real money or earned through achievements usually do not affect the market price in the standard economy, although they may be listed higher in modifications.

Factor	Impact on price	Comment
Mileage (km)	Decline	Every 100 thousand km the price is reduced by 5-10%
Damage	Strong decline	Needs renovations before sale to maximize profit
Engine tuning	Growth (partial)	About 40-60% of the cost of improvements is returned
Year of issue	Affects the base	New models in the game are more expensive and are falling in price more slowly

There is a "reselling" strategy where players buy cheap trucks from AI drivers (via mods or bugs), customize them and try to sell them, but in the vanilla game the margin will be negative due to the instant markdown upon purchase. Therefore, the best way to preserve value is to maintain equipment in perfect condition and sell only when there is an urgent financial need or a change in priorities.

Common mistakes when selling trucks

One of the most common mistakes is trying to sell the only truck in the company without leaving funds to buy a new one or pay fines. Although the game will warn you if you run out of vehicles to complete orders, some players ignore this, leaving them without any means of transportation. In this case, you will have to take an urgent rental or use fast transport, which is not economically profitable.

Another mistake is selling equipment during an active contract. If the truck is occupied with cargo, the system will not allow it to be sold until the task is completed or cancelled. Attempting to bypass this via save files may result in data corruption and loss of progress. Always complete the current voyage before listing the asset for sale.

⚠️ Attention: Do not sell trucks if you plan to buy the same model in a week - you will lose about 30% of the cost simply from the difference between buying and selling.

FAQ: Questions and answers

Is it possible to sell a truck if there is an active order on it?

No, the system blocks the sale of equipment that is busy fulfilling the contract. You must first deliver the cargo, cancel the order (with loss of reputation and money) or get to the unloading point.

Where can I see the history of sales and purchases?

In the standard game there is no detailed accounting, but in the “Statistics” menu you can see general financial indicators. For detailed accounting, many players maintain external tables or use transaction logging mods.

What to do if the “Sell” button is inactive?

Check to see if the truck is a rental truck, if it's parked in someone else's garage, or if it's the only vehicle with Last Asset Loss Protection enabled in the settings.

Is money returned for installed tuning upon sale?

Yes, but not in full. The game returns only a portion of the cost of installed upgrades, proportional to their residual value at the time of sale, ignoring the full purchase price.