Truckful cargo loading is a manual, physics-driven puzzle that dictates how your pickup handles out on the road. Rather than storing items in an abstract inventory screen, developer MythicOwl requires you to physically arrange every crate, furniture piece, barrel, and even hitchhiking passenger directly onto the truck bed grid. Securing your payload properly before hitting the gas is essential to avoid losing goods across rough terrain or during chases with the forest's hostile Ghost Truck.
How the Packing Screen Works
When you accept an errand from villagers in the valley, the game transitions to a dedicated packing view before your trip begins. On the left side of the screen, you will find an order manifest listing all items required for the delivery alongside their individual stats:
- Weight: Displayed in kilograms, contributing toward your truck bed's redline weight limit.
- Size and Dimensions: Determines how many horizontal and vertical grid slots an object occupies.
- Condition and Traits: Notes whether an item is fragile (such as porcelain or grandfather vases) or volatile (such as herbicide barrels).
- Living Passengers: Certain missions require you to pack NPCs like Rotty the courier or construction workers directly onto the flatbed alongside inanimate cargo.
If your cargo exceeds the recommended volume of your equipped bed, the game displays an "It Won't All Fit" warning. You can still accept the run under caution, which can trigger an in-game achievement if completed successfully.
Truckful Cargo Loading Controls
Positioning and orienting items correctly helps lower the center of gravity and prevents top-heavy tipping. Depending on your input device, use the following inputs during the loading phase:
| Action | Controller / Gamepad | Keyboard & Mouse |
|---|---|---|
| Select Package | A button (Xbox) / Cross (PlayStation) | Left Click / Space |
| Move Package Position | Left Thumbstick / D-pad | WASD / Arrow Keys |
| Rotate Orientation | D-pad / Triggers | Q and E keys |
| Toggle Simulation Mode | Y button (Xbox) / Triangle (PlayStation) | On-screen prompt |
| Confirm and Begin Delivery | Menu / Start button | Enter key |
Using Simulation Mode Before Driving
Before confirming an order, toggling Simulation Mode tests the stability of your arrangement. The game activates live physics inside the staging area, allowing loose items to settle under simulated gravity.
Watching the simulation reveals whether taller objects will tip over on slight inclines or if stacked crates will slide off an open tailgate. If an arrangement wobbles or an item bounces free during simulation, return to the packing view and lower the profile of the stack before departing.
Best Practices for Packing Fragile and Irregular Goods
Roads across Deepstone Valley feature uneven cobblestones, mud baths, steep downhill gradients, and railway tracks that cause severe vehicle sway. Loading cargo haphazardly will cause it to tumble out when braking or accelerating uphill.
- Place heavy, dense objects on the bottom: Put machinery, heavy concrete, and large crates flat against the truck bed floor. Placing heavier weights at the base lowers the pickup's center of gravity and reduces vehicle roll on corners.
- Wedge fragile cargo between flat boundaries: Delicate items should be placed inward, boxed in by heavier rectangular containers or the cab wall so they cannot slide toward the rear edge.
- Lay passengers flat when possible: Human passengers like Rotty have flexible collision boxes and can tip over if left standing upright. Rotating passenger models horizontally across the bed keeps them secure against bumps.
- Watch the redline weight scale: Overloading your suspension drags the rear bumper along the ground, reducing front-wheel steering traction and making the truck vulnerable to getting stuck on small rocks and curbs.
Truck Upgrades That Improve Cargo Capacity and Stability
As you earn money from courier contracts and salvage scrap materials for Red's Scrapyard, you can visit Teresa's garage or local repair shops to purchase upgrades that directly enhance cargo management:
- Expanded Cargo Beds: Swapping your rusty stock bed for upgrades like the Chimney 12+, Narrow Basket 18+, or Flatbed XL 30+ significantly increases the grid area, allowing multi-crate stacking and wider footprints.
- Sticky Cargo Module: A utility upgrade that temporarily locks cargo in place. Activating this skill prevents packages from tumbling out of the bed for a short duration when traversing bumpy ground or escaping pursuers.
- Suspension and Brake Tuning: Upgrading from worn components to reinforced suspension helps carry heavy payloads without bottoming out the chassis, while responsive brakes prevent rear momentum from launching cargo over the cab during sudden stops.
How to Retrieve Dropped Cargo
If an impact or rough ditch knocks an item off your vehicle, a lost-package indicator appears on your HUD and GPS map (provided you have installed the navigation upgrade).
To retrieve fallen goods:
- Bring your truck to a complete stop adjacent to the dropped object.
- Align the truck until a white hand grab icon appears over the parcel.
- Press the interact button (Enter on keyboard, or the primary interaction button on controller) to load the item back onto your vehicle.
Keep in mind that manually retrieving dropped goods on the road can prompt you to re-enter the placement screen. When stopped in hazardous areas—such as the Western Darkwoods where the Ghost Truck roams—retrieve items swiftly, as the world around you does not freeze during recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run over sheep to prevent cargo from shifting when braking?
No. Hitting livestock directly stops your vehicle abruptly and can launch your cargo into the air due to high impact forces. Use your truck's horn (mapped to RB on controllers) to scatter flocks of sheep and clear the road ahead.
What happens if I lose cargo and cross into a new map area?
If a package falls off and you drive through a zone boundary loading screen without it, the delivery cannot be finished. In early versions and demos, attempting to re-enter an area to grab stranded cargo can lead to physics bugs. If you notice an empty bed after a crash, immediately stop and retrieve the package before passing zone borders.
Does cargo shift during Ghost Truck chases?
Yes. Collisions with environmental obstacles or direct ramming from the Ghost Truck transfer kinetic force to the cargo bed. Activating the Sticky Cargo ability right as the chase intensifies is the most reliable way to keep your packages secured while driving at top speeds.
