Today, SCS Software released the open beta for American Truck Simulator Update 1.62, letting players test new exploration activities, truck visual improvements, updated tire designs, and changes to the in-game radio ahead of the full release.
American Truck Simulator Update 1.62 expands the Atlas feature introduced with the Road Trip: Ford DLC, adds a special Route 66 exploration challenge, and introduces several other improvements across the driving simulation.
One of the biggest additions is the expanded Atlas exploration system, which debuted with last month’s Road Trip: Ford DLC. The feature encourages players to explore the game’s world by discovering points of interest, viewpoints, and photo trophies, with new Tourist Boards coming to Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Washington, and Louisiana. Nebraska will receive two Tourist Boards, while each completed board rewards players with a new postcard.
American Truck Simulator Update 1.62 also introduces a special Route 66 Cross-Border Tourist Board to celebrate the highway’s 100th anniversary in 2026. After Illinois was added in May, completing the route across the game’s map, players can now explore locations along the historic highway spanning Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
The cross-border challenge is designed to work with the map expansions players own. Activating the Tourist Board reveals available exploration locations across eligible states, letting players make progress without owning every expansion. To unlock the special postcard, players must own all relevant map expansions and visit every associated exploration location. Completing the challenge also rewards players with an exclusive Route 66 air freshener accessory.
SCS Software has also clarified how the new challenge will appear in the Atlas interface. Players who activate the Route 66 Cross-Border Tourist Board without owning all the required map expansions will receive a notification identifying the missing DLC.
The Atlas interface will also indicate which exploration locations remain unavailable and which expansions are required to access them. Although the board remains visible in the list of all Tourist Boards, missing expansions will not negatively affect statistics in Atlas Overview or Career Progress.
The new content builds on the recently released Road Trip: Ford DLC, which introduced the Atlas exploration feature alongside a selection of Ford vehicles for players to drive. Players interested in exploring the expanded activities can purchase the DLC on Steam, and they can also wishlist the upcoming Road Trip: RAM & Dodge DLC is also available to wishlist.
Beyond exploration, American Truck Simulator Update 1.62 continues SCS Software’s work on its Improved Material System, which enhances truck interior lighting and how different materials respond to light. The 2025 Volvo VNL is the latest vehicle to receive these visual improvements, bringing greater detail and more realistic lighting to its cabin. The truck will also appear among AI-controlled traffic, adding another modern vehicle to the roads.
The Goodyear Tires Pack is receiving updated paint jobs featuring the company’s latest logo and revised colors to reflect its current branding. Meanwhile, the Escape station in the Game Radio feature has been refreshed with 11 new songs, replacing tracks that had caused copyright issues. As the only stream-safe station in the game’s radio lineup, Escape is particularly useful for content creators who want to broadcast their trucking journeys without music-related copyright concerns.
American Truck Simulator Update 1.62 is currently available through Steam’s Experimental Beta branch. Players can access it by opening their Steam library, right-clicking American Truck Simulator, selecting Properties, navigating to Game Versions & Betas, and choosing public_beta from the beta participation list. You may need to restart the Steam client for the branch to appear.
As this is an open beta rather than a stable public release, players may encounter bugs, instability, or crashes. SCS Software encourages participants to report issues and provide feedback through the appropriate sections of the official forums to help refine the update before launch. Players who use mods should also consult the game’s modding wiki for information about beta compatibility.
The development team is also hard at work updating relevant areas of the map, and the next rework focuses on the UK, including the Stonehenge area, Inverness, and Bristol.
Finally, there’s the Coaches DLC. We recently saw its bus stations, the Scania Touring, passenger satisfaction, the MAN Lion’s Coach, the Volvo 9700 Double Decker, the first gameplay, the new vehicle features, how to purchase coaches and take on jobs, how to switch modes, and tourist jobs.
For more information on American Truck Simulator, and its sister series both Euro Truck Simulator 2, be sure to check back to Simulation Daily for updates.
