The allure of the open road: Xbox’s new release is the latest in popular trucking simulator games

Right now, probably hundreds are playing a new trucking-centered Xbox game: Star Trucker, which launched in September 2024. It’s the latest in a diverse collection of trucking simulation games that glamorize the open road—or, in this case, the open galaxy.

Trucking sims are nearly as old as video games themselves, and they have amassed a sizable and committed following.

Truck Parking Club analyzed the intersections between trucking and the U.S. gaming industry, looking at their history, popularity, and use for personal leisure and commercial recruitment and training.

Like any game, players are drawn to semitruck simulations for several reasons: for the fun of it, for a mental escape, or as a relaxing pastime. Virtual long hauls with near-empty roads and beautiful views—and the sense of connection from meeting other travelers and swapping stories—are some of the attractive elements of trucking simulations, as gamers have noted on discussion boards. One Star Trucker player commented that they were a truck driver, and wanted to experience trucking in a new and unique setting: flying through space.

Simulator games are built to let players experience what it’s like to do the activities they’re built around, often trying to create a somewhat realistic replica of the process—though in gamifying, some veer into more fantastical representations.

The appeal of virtual trucking: More than just a game

Possibly the earliest trucking simulation game was 1985’s Crosscountry USA, in which players drove an 18-wheeler across the nation, picking up and delivering trade goods. This game was primarily developed to help children learn the United States’ geography but also included many standard activities for truck drivers, like getting gas, reading maps, resting, repairing parts, and more. It developed into an entire series of games navigating semis in the U.S. and Canada, sometimes partnering with state governments to build specific versions for their public school curriculum. There are games for British Columbia, California, Texas, and North Dakota.

These early games set the groundwork for future games. A handful of trucking simulators and trucking-related games exist, spanning a wide range of devices, genres, and target audiences.

Some are more playful, like 2002’s Big Mutha Truckers and its 2005 sequel. This series features racing and a campy, character-driven plot focused on a Southern family’s trucking business. Others, like the popular SCS Software Truck Simulator series, try to replicate trucking more earnestly while offering high-quality renderings of gorgeous scenery along shipping routes.

Measuring game popularity is challenging, as people play the same games in several formats. As of November 2024, Star Trucker had nearly 2,700 mostly positive reviews on gaming platform Steam and another 1,200 on Xbox. By then, 2016’s American Truck Simulator had over 133,500 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam.

These games have the capacity to show people what it’s like to be a truck driver. Some players use foot pedals, joysticks (emulating a manual transmission), force feedback steering wheels, or virtual reality headsets for a more authentic experience. They also incorporate the strategic elements of trucking: when to get gas or park and rest, thinking through how to navigate challenging driving and parking situations, pulling into weigh stations, and other habits and considerations actual truckers make during their workday.

From simulation to recruitment: Real-world applications of trucking games

Today, simulations are actually being used to recruit and help train truckers. Trucking company Schneider National ran ads on virtual billboards within the American Truck Simulator game, anticipating players who enjoy virtual trucking might be interested in doing it in the real world. Leading truck operators like UPS, FedEx, and XPO logistics have invested millions into virtual reality and augmented reality training solutions, The Inside Lane reported. These include things like simulated predrive inspections or practicing responses to challenging road conditions and emergencies. The latter provides experience in a safe environment that may help drivers build muscle memory and quicker response times for potentially dangerous situations, which could prevent on-road accidents and make roads safer.

Still, games are games: They can’t yet fully represent reality. People aren’t going directly from computer games to the open road. Some truckers have noted that American Truck Simulator and others in the series are helpful for learning mechanisms like how to turn or back up with a trailer but don’t replicate the feeling of driving over rough roads from the cab of a semi. It doesn’t fully capture the experience of navigating warehouses, small businesses, truck stops, and other complex destinations.

And, of course, truckers aren’t yet delivering in space.

Nevertheless, trucking simulator games are giving people a taste of what it’s like to drive trucks, and have inspired at least a few people to pursue the profession. As AR and VR technology progresses, and as the trucking industry observes how these simulations work for early testers, they could become a larger part of the trucking industry employment pipeline.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass and Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

This story originally appeared on Truck Parking Club and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.