We’re excited to share with our community that the 1.55 update for American Truck Simulator is now officially released! This update brings new content, implementations, fixes, quality of life improvements, and more. Let’s dive in and take a look at what’s in store.
We’d also like to give a huge shoutout to everyone who participated in the Open Beta, shared feedback, and reported bugs. Your invaluable contributions have helped us fine tune the content and fix issues that initially slipped through the cracks. We hope that you will enjoy the new features, changes, and more that come with this update.
Driving Academy - Truck Driving Proficiency
This new Driving Academy module, called Truck Driving Proficiency, will introduce a set of much more challenging scenarios, which will test even the most skilled drivers to the limit. For this new module and set of scenarios, we will also introduce a new reward system. The most important thing is still to precisely complete a scenario by driving along the designated path and avoiding any collisions.
Players will also be able to achieve up to 3 collectable stars in this module, which can be earned by meeting additional conditions such as only using the interior camera, limiting gear shifts between drive and reverse, or completing the scenario in the set time. To really test your skills, you won't find any pre-recorded video tutorials, and you will have to use all the knowledge we taught you in our first module of Driving Academy.
We've also prepared new, exciting rewards that players can use on the same profile in the base game! As you may know, finishing the first module grants a blue traffic cone cabin accessory and a customizable Driving Academy truck paint job. Completing all Truck Driving Proficiency scenarios unlocks an orange traffic cone accessory, while earning 3 stars in every scenario adds a matching trailer paint job and a golden traffic cone, giving your truck and trailer the full Driving Academy look.
Asynchronous Loading
We have been hard at work implementing a major overhaul in the way our game loads and processes data, a new system we call Asynchronous Loading. This system is designed to improve the loading process by ensuring that the game and loading screens remain uninterrupted while assets are loaded in the background. The primary benefit here is the mitigation of stuttering, resulting in a smoother experience overall.
We’d like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who shared their feedback during both the Experimental and Open Beta phases. Your input played a key role in helping us refine this system, and we’re excited to share that Asynchronous Loading is now fully implemented with the release of the 1.55 update!
Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia Update
A range of new accessories and improvements have been made to the Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia. From a paintable airdam and sunvisor to chrome mirror and filter options, you’ll have more ways than ever to personalize your truck’s look. Inside the cabin, you can now choose from updated tan, grey, or the newly added black interiors, along with either a classic or modern dashboard layout, bringing the total to six interior variants per sleeper!
Exterior updates include refinements to the 72" sleeper side walls, improved blind spot sensors compatible with both traditional and digital mirrors, and revised camera arms with more accurate turn indicator behavior. We've also smashed some bugs along with this update too!
You can check out the full list of changes and additions at this blogpost.
Kenworth T680 Update
The Kenworth T680 is getting an update! First released in December 2023 to celebrate Kenworth’s 100th anniversary, the truck was developed on an accelerated schedule with help from Kenworth’s team. Now, we’re expanding its customization options to give players even more control over how their truck looks and performs.
Players will be able to choose between three cab variants as we are adding the 52" Mid-Roof and the 76" High-Roof, offering more flexibility and personality on the road. The chassis lineup will expand by seven configurations, including 6x4 options for all cabs in both short and long hood versions, as well as 4x2 setups specifically for day cabs.
A total of 20 interior variants will be added: eight for the 76" High-Roof cab and eight for the 52" Mid-Roof, each in both single and double bunk layouts, plus four tailored for the day cab. Every interior will come in Diamond VIT and Vantage trims, with stylish Tan and Grey color options.
Under the hood, drivers will have even more options, as we are adding seven powerful engine variants from the Cummins X12 and X15 series, and also five new transmission options to match their driving style. To top it off, all paint jobs, including those from DLCs, are now fully compatible with the T680. Whether you're going for style, performance, or both, the updated T680 offers everything you need to create your perfect rig.
Check out the full dedicated blog to read about all the changes and updates coming with this update here!
New additional content for the Nebraska DLC
New roads ahead! We're happy to share that with 1.55, a free update has rolled out for all owners of the Nebraska DLC.
This addition expands the northeastern corner of the state with three key highways; The US-20, US-75, and US-81. On these new routes, drivers can discover a new truck stop, a weigh station, and several scenic landmarks.
You’ll also now be able to travel through the settlement of Laurel, offering a slice of small-town charm rooted in farming heritage. Whether you're just free-roaming or passing through with a delivery nearby, there's even more reason to revisit the Cornhusker State.
Check out the Nebraska DLC for American Truck Simulator on Steam here.
Farm Machinery DLC Update
We’re excited to introduce a new free cargo addition to the Farm Machinery DLC, the Windrower! This essential piece of agricultural equipment is used to gather and align crops into neat rows for drying and harvesting, and now it’s your job to haul it where it’s needed most.
The Windrower will be available on the job market in two color variants: a classic green and a yellow version branded with OWL, one of our in-game farming equipment manufacturers. Designed for lowboy trailers, it’s a wide and impressive load that brings more variety to your agricultural deliveries.
You can find the full details about this update here.
FlowBelow Painted Parts
We're introducing a visual enhancement for select trucks featuring FlowBelow aerodynamic parts in American Truck Simulator. These drive wheel closeouts, designed to improve fuel efficiency and airflow, now come with the option to be paintable.
This means players can now customize these components to match their truck’s color scheme, creating a more polished and unified appearance. Whether you're aiming for a clean fleet aesthetic or giving your rig a show truck vibe, we’re confident this small update will help you tailor your truck even more to your personal style.
Don’t forget to share your fresh paint jobs with us on our social media channels!
Custom City Intros for New Mexico DLC
With this update, New Mexico has received several new Custom City Intros! These special cutscenes play when a player selects a starting city while creating a new profile.
You’ll now find these intros available for the following cities in New Mexico:
Farmington
Las Cruces
Roswell
Santa Fe
We hope that new players, or those starting afresh, will enjoy these additions, which showcase the area where your journey begins!
Mail UX Redesign
The mail screen has been reworked to provide a cleaner layout and a smoother navigation experience. Messages are now displayed in a two-column format, with a scrollable list on the left and an enlarged message view on the right for better readability. Messages load from the top, and when the list gets longer, intuitive paging helps keep things tidy. Navigation has been improved across all input methods, and embedded links or actions can now be accessed directly from the message content.
Options QoL Improvements
In this update, we’ve added a small but useful quality-of-life improvement to the graphics settings menu. You’ll now see example screenshots next to various settings, giving you a better idea of how each option affects the game’s visuals.
Whether you're tweaking things for smoother performance or aiming for the best possible look, these previews should make it easier to find the right balance for your setup.
Map Improvements - "My Location" Hotkey
We are adding a "My Location" hotkey as part of our map improvements. When pressed, it instantly centers the game map on the player's current location. We hope you find this small addition useful on the road!
Change of Steam Achievements
Our team is working around the clock on engine updates, many of which are not visible during regular gameplay. Some of these are visible instantly, such as new light systems, but we also need to work on changes that are not normally visible when you play.
Updating the achievement system gives us foundations that will allow us to make different and new types of achievements, as well as manage existing ones that often rely on different DLCs and regions. As a part of that, we have a new system coming out in 1.55.
Along with this new system, some small changes were made to existing achievements and their goals to prepare us for any changes future developments may bring. If you would like to share any feedback about this, you can do so on our forums.
Changelog
Gameplay
Driving Academy - Truck Driving Proficiency
Map Improvements - "My Location" Hotkey
Map
New additional content for the Nebraska DLC - US-20, US-81, US-75 & the settlement of Laurel
Vehicles
Fifth Generation Freightliner Cascadia Update
Kenworth T680 Update
FlowBelow Painted Parts
Farm Machinery DLC Update
Visual
Custom city intros for New Mexico DLC
Mail UX redesign
Options QoL Improvements - Graphics settings visualisation
Other
Steam achievements update with text and icon improvements
Save manager improvements
Asynchronous loading