Road Tripping in ‘American Truck Simulator’ Saved My Sanity During the Pandemic

The pandemic was a terrifying time for millions of people, myself included. The feelings of seclusion, being locked inside the small 900-square-foot apartment I was living in at the time. It was isolating, even though I had my wife by my side. However, with her auto-immune disorder, trips into the outside world were minimized as often as possible to avoid exposure. That’s when I discovered American Truck Simulator, a game I bought as a joke and fell in love with beyond comprehension.

It Was a Beautiful Day, the Sun Beat Down, I Had the Radio on, I Was Drivin’

Shortly before the pandemic started, I got a cheap-o Logitech wheel I was using on my PC. The Logitech GT Driving Force. It’s not the newest, latest, or greatest, but it lets me enjoy some of my favorite games in a new light. Little did I know, my time spent racing on the tracks in DIRT was coming to an end, and my Logitech was about to take me on the adventure of a lifetime.

I picked up American Truck Simulator as a joke. I never got the appeal of simulator games. Why would I want to spend my time hauling freight in a video game? It sounded like such a ridiculous concept I needed to try. Wouldn’t you know it? I got hooked. After breezing through the tutorial and learning the ropes, it was time for me to take my first delivery. I was weirdly nervous. Why was I nervous trying to deliver a truckload of virtual items?

I hit the road, eyes glued to my screen. The challenge of delivering was much more than I originally anticipated. Realism slowly started to inch into every facet of this trip, needing to hit wipers when it rains. Using turn signals to let people know when I’m going. The ability to roll a window up or down? I was in heaven. Everything was interactive in American Truck Simulator. I finally got to my destination, dropped off the payload, and kept on trucking.

American Truck Simulator became a daily habit during the pandemic. I slowly started introducing new things into the game, including a Spotify playlist of classic road-tripping and trucking songs. I had never listened to more Tom Petty and Molly Hatchet than I did in 2020 through 2022 — also known as the height of my obsession.

‘American Truck Simulator’ Is Like Taking a Vacation Without Ever Leaving Your Living Room

I keep returning to American Truck Simulator, even after the “end” of the pandemic. I’ve upgraded my wheel to something more pleasing: the Logitech G29. And my character, Big Rig Rob, has made interdimensional travel across a variety of other games.

Yes, I named my faceless/nameless avatar in American Truck Simulator after a minor character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He was also my main character in Starfield, among other games. This character has followed me beyond the realms of possibility, and it’s all from purchasing the game as a joke.

American Truck Simulator is therapeutic in a way. Much like Webfishing, it’s a game that coasts by on its vibes. Players really get into this game. Tons of accessories are made exclusively for players. CB Radios turned into headsets? That’s beyond rad. It’s a very tight-knit community, and it’s awesome that people have developed such good friendships because of this game.

American Truck Simulator isn’t a game for everyone. But, as I quickly found out, it offers a much more satisfying experience than I could have ever imagined. It’s intense and offers quite a challenge.