German Truck Simulator as the Hidden Blueprint for ETS2’s Career Mode?

German Truck Simulator is more than just a side project in SCS history. Although I wasn’t active in the simulation scene when it released in 2010, I recently bought a used original DVD out of curiosity and nostalgia. It quickly becomes clear that GTS is, in many ways, the unofficial predecessor of Euro Truck Simulator 2. Numerous assets such as garages, buildings, roads and even truck models were later reused. Gameplay mechanics and structure also resemble ETS2 far more closely than the official predecessor, Euro Truck Simulator.

What stands out most is the career structure. In ETS2, you begin with quick jobs, driving different employer-provided trucks each time. In GTS, however, you choose a specific freight company at the start, each offering different pay shares and a dedicated truck. While being paid a share of the freight revenue isn’t perfectly realistic, it creates a clearer sense of working for an actual employer. Jobs are assigned by a dispatcher, and you don’t freely choose every destination. Over time, better companies approach you with improved offers, stronger trucks and higher pay shares. This creates a tangible employee-to-owner progression.

Only after saving enough money do dealers offer you a used truck at an attractive price, allowing you to become self-employed. From that point on, the system aligns more closely with ETS2. However, the structured employee phase beforehand adds depth that ETS2’s current quick job system lacks. In ETS2, your employer mainly covers fuel and repair costs, but little narrative or structural connection is formed. This system has remained largely unchanged for nearly 14 years.

Taking the idea further, ETS2 already includes a used truck market. Expanding it with used trailers could allow players to assemble an entire second-hand rig, giving that feature more weight. Combined with the Convoy multiplayer mode, such a system could even enable community-based freight companies where players apply and build a shared business together.

At this point, these ideas remain speculative. SCS Software has not officially confirmed any major career rework. Still, the desire for change is frequently voiced within the community. Perhaps the blueprint has existed for years – it just needs to be revisited.

How would you redesign the ETS2 career mode? Which GTS elements would you adopt, and what would you change entirely? Share your ideas and wishes for the future career system in the comments.

Here you can find a comparison video: https://youtu.be/ItaLixNvKg4?si=zmHREO62y8iiAhcB