Learning where and how to drive is more important than what you drive. Any of the trucks you find in Michigan are easily enough for the map.

Originally posted by Yurik_:

Kind of struggling. What is the best truck to play comfortably and not spending 30+ minutes to get out of mud?

If you want more smooth start try buy Ank 38 civilian. It has pretty good starter tyres for offroad. However it has only 200 litres of fuel and can be unstable on high speed.

Your goal to reach level 10-12 when unlocks offroad tyres to practically every truck in the game.
That's why Ank is so powerful in the beginning, it already has preinstalled offroad tyres from the beginning.

Originally posted by Kosevich:

Your goal to reach level 10-12 when unlocks offroad tyres to practically every truck in the game.
That's why Ank is so powerful in the beginning, it already has preinstalled offroad tyres from the beginning.

There is also a 'tyre' DLC available for purchase, if one is that way inclined (or has little time to commit) :).

Originally posted by Kosevich:

Your goal to reach level 10-12 when unlocks offroad tyres to practically every truck in the game.
That's why Ank is so powerful in the beginning, it already has preinstalled offroad tyres from the beginning.

This is the first time I read a comment saying the truth about the ANK within the context of the OP's subject, instead of the bull***t that most people say about it instead: that "it's better because it has always on diff locks and AWD".

Not drive through the mud is the best advice given here

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3364796676
Not like this
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3364796758
But like this

In the other maps you will find the P16 and the Twinsteer which are heavy trucks with very large wheels. These can be used for the many "pull a vehicle from the marshes or bog" type missions with ease.

The tip to find the ANK in Alaska ( and the Cat 745 while you are at it :-) is a good one too. The ANK is a bouncy bastard though that flips over easily when driven rough. All above options require you to travel to other maps though.....and you won't get there plowing THROUGH deep mud or deep snow. It may be an off road game, but you had better avoid deep mud and snow where you can, or take another less problematic route.

Originally posted by Yurik_:

Kind of struggling. What is the best truck to play comfortably and not spending 30+ minutes to get out of mud?

I'm going to deviate a bit from the answer that you requested and point out something else that is important. The greatest tool in your arsenal in this game isn't going to be the truck. It's going to be the knowledge you acquire and the navigation skills that you develop. Knowing what to do and when to do it, what not to do and when to avoid it, and how to get things done with the utmost basics, are going to be what saves the day (and what keeps you from spending 30 minutes stuck).

If you spent 30 minutes stuck, that is a giant flag right there telling you that you're in the middle of a valuable learning experience cause you haven't yet figured out something.

Observe the terrain very closely. And I do mean very closely, because little details such as whether the dirt seems wet or not, or whether there's hard clay at the bottom of a water puddle, or reeds poking out, can mean huge differences for when you drive on top of those spots.

Here's a few general tips:

- Observe your tracks and see how much you sink into various surfaces and places. This is a good way of gauging the capability of the terrain to support the weight of your truck.

- Observe the rotation speed of your wheels. If they are ejecting mud or dirt and splashing it all over the place, that means you're digging yourself in because the wheels are rotating too quickly. Optimal traction is achieved when there's little to no debris or dirt being ejected.

- If you're driving without locking differentials, don't drive slowly, and avoid any places that you could sink into. Drive as fast as reasonably plausible for the surface you're on; doing so will help you retain your momentum, which is what will carry you across (you'll want to maintain your momentum when you have reduced traction). And just to be clear, I mean to say "as fast as possible within reason", I am not saying "floor it and break your truck on the rock that's just ahead".

- Micromanage your gearbox shifts. If you only have a default gearbox with a single Low Gear stage, some situations will be better served by the higher output you could get from shifting to Automatic (sometimes even if doing this means that you'll have to unlock your differentials). Also, be mindful of your RPMs and tap shift to manually upshift or downshift while in Automatic mode.

The best truck for Michigan is right in front of your neus (or garage). Fleetstar is one of the best multipurpose truck in the game.

On the second map you find White Western Star. It is a wonderful heavy truck. Together with Fleetstar you can use it to finish (almost) the whole game.

You also find P16 in Drummond. You can finish all missions on Island Lake with it, easily. It's also great to finish logging missions.

GMC (first map), equipped with diff lock is great for hauling heavy semitrailers.

After finishing many seasons, I just decided to do Michigan again from the begininng. Repair Fleestar using the repair trailer close by and start using it. Do some missions that are available around (avoid going on deep mud) and upgrade truck with beter tyres.

Michigan is one of the most satisfying maps in game.

your first hurdle is levelling up and getting money , using the fleet star and GMC will get the job done in early michigan .

once you get moving and find a few upgrades , you will then need to learn how to drive the trails, usually avoiding the mud and quick winching your way to glory .

to set the game on easy mode , get the tayga .

The best you can do is to use the trucks and vehicles given to you map, by map, region, by region from the start. Then your learning curve won´t be so steep and you have plenty of time to learn "how to" through your journey.

To skip seasons just to get the best truck there is, you will miss alot. To master and take advantage of the better trucks later, you need the experience of the more "simpler" trucks.