ETS2 Best Trucks Guide 2026: Tier List, Builds & Buying Strategy

After 800 hours in ETS2, I've driven every truck in the game. Some I loved, some I sold after one delivery. Here's the honest breakdown: most of the trucks are fine for casual driving, but if you care about efficiency — profit per hour, fuel economy, cargo flexibility — there's a clear hierarchy.

The Tier List

S-Tier: Volvo FH16 and Scania S Series. The Volvo has the strongest engine in the game (750 HP) and surprisingly good visibility for a big cab. The Scania S has the quietest cabin and best fuel economy at 80 km/h. You can't go wrong with either.

A-Tier: Mercedes Actros and Scania R Series. The Actros has a buttery-smooth transmission and the clearest dashboard layout I've seen. The R Series is basically the S Series with an older cabin design — same engines, lower price tag.

B-Tier: MAN TGX and DAF XF. Both are perfectly capable trucks. The MAN has a comfortable interior, the DAF has good fuel economy. Neither excels at anything specific, and both feel underpowered when you're hauling over 20 tons up a grade.

C-Tier: Renault T and Iveco Stralis. The Renault is slow, has a small fuel tank, and honestly just feels cheap compared to the competition. The Iveco is the cheapest new truck in the game and drives like it. I bought an Iveco once for a hired driver. That's all they're good for.

The Profit Builder: Volvo FH16

This is the build I use on my main profile. Total cost around €127,000 if you buy used.

Cabin: Sleeper (required for long-distance jobs). Chassis: 4x2 (handles 95% of cargo types, saves weight). Engine: 540 HP (enough for 25-ton loads on any terrain, and doesn't drink fuel like the 750). Transmission: I-Shift Dual Clutch 12-speed (optimized for highway cruising). Interior: standard. Paint: whatever the default is — cosmetics don't earn money.

The 540 HP engine is the sweet spot. The 750 HP is fun but burns about 20% more fuel for power you rarely need. Unless you're doing Special Transport DLC contracts with 50-ton loads, skip it.

The Heavy Cargo Specialist

If you do have the Special Transport DLC, you need a different setup. 4x2 chassis can't handle 50+ tons — you'll spin out on inclines. You want: 6x4 chassis (two driven rear axles for grip), 750 HP engine, and a transmission with retarder (the I-Shift with retarder saves you thousands in brake wear on mountain descents). Total cost: around €163,000.

I only use this build for special cargo contracts. For normal freight, the fuel penalty from the 6x4 chassis (roughly 15-20% worse economy) isn't worth it.

The Long-Haul Comfort Build: Scania S

On deliveries over 2,000 km, cabin noise becomes a real factor. The Scania S has the quietest interior in the game — measured by the community using sound meter mods. My build: High Sleeper cabin, 4x2 chassis, 500 HP engine, Opticruise 12-speed transmission, and the Exclusive interior trim (worth the €5,000 for the better dashboard layout alone).

I've done the Oslo-to-Lisbon run (about 3,500 km) in both a Volvo and a Scania. The Scania genuinely feels less fatiguing after two hours. Is that worth the higher price? For me, yes. For pure profit, stick with the Volvo.

Used Truck Strategy

The used truck market is the most underrated feature in the game. It refreshes every three in-game days, and the deals can be absurd. I once found a Volvo FH16 with 18,000 km for €67,000 — that's 30% off MSRP for what's essentially a new truck.

General rule: buy used for yourself (Fair condition or better), buy new (cheapest model) for hired drivers. Hired drivers don't benefit from truck quality — their income comes purely from their skill levels. Give them a base Iveco or DAF and train their Long Distance skill.

Mileage doesn't affect reliability in any meaningful way. A truck with 200,000 km drives identically to one with 2,000 km. The only thing that degrades is the resale value, and you're not flipping trucks for profit anyway.

Transmission: Always 12-Speed

I see new players picking 6-speed or Allison automatic transmissions and I get why — fewer gears seems simpler. But ETS2's physics engine assumes you have 12 gears for highway cruising. A 6-speed transmission means your engine runs at higher RPM at 80 km/h, burning more fuel for no benefit.

The 12-speed with retarder adds about €6,000 to the price but pays for itself in brake wear savings if you drive mountain routes (Alps, Norway, Balkans). On flat routes, the standard 12-speed is fine.

How Much Horsepower Do You Actually Need?

For loads under 10 tons, 350 HP is sufficient. 10-20 tons, you want 420-540 HP. 20-30 tons needs 500-600 HP. Above 30 tons (heavy cargo DLC), 600-750 HP.

Most of your deliveries will be in the 10-20 ton range. The 540 HP Volvo engine handles those effortlessly while keeping fuel costs reasonable. The one scenario where you'll genuinely wish for more power: pulling a fully loaded trailer up the Oslo-Bergen mountain road in Norway. Even then, you'll make it — just slowly.

Oh, and one last thing. You only need one personal truck. I've seen players build a garage full of customized trucks for themselves. You can only drive one at a time. Every truck beyond your personal rig should be a cheap workhorse assigned to a hired driver.