Start with the difficulty that suits you
European Truck Manager offers Easy, Normal and Hard difficulty settings. If you want room to learn the financial systems, Easy is a sensible first run. Normal provides a more demanding balance, while Hard is for players who want decisions to carry more weight. The difficulty setting is part of the company setup, so make a deliberate choice before committing to a new company.
Think in terms of one working vehicle
Your first truck is a business asset, not just a purchase. Consider what jobs it can accept, whether a suitable trailer is required and how much cash you will retain after buying it. A vehicle without an assigned driver cannot operate jobs, so plan staffing and equipment together.
Complete a job before expanding
Choose an available transport job that matches your equipment. Compare the offered revenue with likely fuel, wear and staff costs. Watch the transport progress and check the financial result afterwards. Your first successful deliveries should teach you more about the economy than buying several trucks at once.
Build a repeatable routine
Review available jobs, driver motivation, vehicle condition and finances regularly. Once your first truck produces dependable income, consider whether a second driver, trailer or garage investment addresses your real bottleneck.