BACKHAULA TRUCKING COMPANY SIM
You don't drive the truck. You run the company.
A strategic economic simulation of a haulage company, seen from above on a real map of Europe - the road network is pulled from OpenStreetMap. You never get behind the wheel: you run the company, not the truck.
You don't drive the truck. You run the company.
What matters is the margin per kilometre, not the view from the cab. The freight exchange, the tachograph, the drivers and the books that have to balance at month end.
Six systems this stands on
The freight exchange
Spot loads and long-term contracts, rate negotiation. Rival companies bid for the same loads - what matters is the margin per kilometre and the share of empty kilometres.
Finances down to the last cent
Profit and loss, cash flow, the profitability of every vehicle and every client tracked separately. Leasing, loans, factoring, debt collection, and payment terms of 30 or 60 days.
Different law in every country
Fuel prices, tolls, cabotage, minimum wage for posted drivers, weekend and holiday driving bans. What pays off in Poland can be a loss in Germany.
The tachograph as a core system
4.5 hours of driving and a 45-minute break, 9 hours a day, 11 hours of rest. Going over the limit is a real risk of inspection, not a cosmetic counter.
Drivers with character
Skills (ADR, crane operation, eco-driving), languages, morale, fatigue and loyalty. A good driver can be poached by a rival if you do not look after them.
A yard that grows with the company
A grid-based yard: parking spots, a service pit, a wash bay, a warehouse, a fuel pump, an office, a gatehouse, a weighbridge. Vehicles physically take up space - from gravel to a full yard.
What else is in the game
Three acts of a career
A salaried driver, a driver with their own truck, and finally a company owner. In the third act your character becomes a line in the staff table.
Four starting scenarios
From scratch, a haulier’s son, an investor, or an unlimited sandbox. The same starting point never plays the same game twice.
A notebook from the road
Cheap fuel stations, free loading ramps, unreliable payers, inspection spots, risky car parks. Knowledge you write down yourself becomes an edge over the competition.
Reputation on two fronts
Separately with clients and among drivers - and they pull in opposite directions. Pushing deadlines keeps clients happy but closes off the job market.
Breakdowns as dilemmas
A mobile mechanic, towing, transferring the load to another vehicle, or subcontracting. Every option costs something different - time, money, or a relationship.
Seasons that actually matter
Harvest season, the pre-holiday peak, winter in the mountains, and tighter weekend and holiday driving bans. The calendar changes what pays - more countries will bring their own seasons as the map grows.
Fleet and trailers
A van up to 3.5 t, a rigid truck at 12 t, a tractor unit with a 40 t trailer. Curtain-sider, mega trailer, reefer, tanker, silo, tipper, low-loader.
Ten to fifteen competitors
Companies that bid on the same loads, poach your drivers and - when things go badly - go bankrupt.
Concept art
click an image to enlarge · Concept art - a sense of direction, not screenshots from a finished game.
Cover art: a haulier's desk at night - a map of Europe, a freight document and a phone about to ring.
Base yard - live preview
This is how your company base is meant to look. Rotate the camera, click a truck and repark it in reverse or nose first - the trailer turns like a real one, and vehicles wait for each other, give way to cars and stop at the barrier. In build mode you place new buildings on a grid, and next to the scene you can see the template a trailer paintjob is made from.
Rendered live in your browser. This shows the art direction, it is not a screenshot from the game.
About 0.2 MB, runs in the browser on desktop and mobile.
The game is in production
I'm building Backhaul in Godot. First a Steam page and a demo, then Early Access - no crowdfunding before launch and no date I can't keep. Work on Syndicate is on hold while Backhaul is in production.
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Messenger is the fastest way to reach me. For formal matters, write an email. I answer to the point, without twenty-page offers.
Message me on Facebookkontakt@rowienski-interactive.plThinking about an app of your own? Need a fast website? Or a powerful machine to work on? I am at your disposal.