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Vehicles of Roadcraft [1.5] (WIP)
By SparksTbh
This guide is currently out of date (still 1.5). Just a basic guide of the vehicles, where to find and obtain them, and which of them I think are worth your time. Let me know if I get anything wrong, if you have a different opinion of a vehicle, or if you have any formatting advice as this is my first steam guide. Information I am unsure of or don't know is marked with a question mark. Also, this is my experience as a solo player with a little over 100 hours, I'm sure co-op changes vehicle prioritization.
   
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Created by
SparksTbh
Online
Category: Gameplay Basics
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
30 May @ 4:52am
13 Jul @ 12:28am
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70 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Scouts (Armiger Thunder IV) 
Scouts (Minuteman K350) 
Scouts (Armiger Thunder SAR) 
Scouts (Minuteman K350 Rescue) 
Scouts (Invictus Type A) 
Scouts ("Malamute" Don 72) 
Scouts ("Karelian" Tuz 303) 
Scouts ("Lynx" Tuz 119) 
Special Equipment ("Strannik" KHAN Lo) 
Special Equipment ("Krot" Vostok TK-53) 
Special Equipment ("Pike" Step 39331) 
Special Equipment (Zikz 605E *HET) 
Special Equipment (Wayfarer ST7050) 
Special Equipment (Zikz 605E *Mobile Scalper) 
Special Equipment (Warden Kochevnik ATV) 
Road Works (Tayga 6455) 
Road Works (Kronenwerk L-34 *Dozer) 
Road Works ("Bunker" DS 135A) 
Road Works ("Katok" DS 55K) 
Road Works (Baikal 65-206) 
Road Works (Aramatsu Bowhead 30T) 
Road Works (EPEC LT 200) 
Road Works (Arling Roadworks 120 Special) 
Road Works (Vostok ATM-53 Pioneer) 
Road Works (Arling Roadworks 750R) 
Cargo (Mule T1) 
Cargo (Azov 43-17 DL) 
Cargo (Voron 3327) 
Cargo (MTK Proseka 200) 
Cargo (Kronenwerk L-34 *Cargo Truck) 
Cargo (Greenway 740 Cross *Blade) 
Logging (MTK 100M) 
Logging (MTK MD-76 *Harvester) 
Logging (MTK MD-76 *Loader) 
Logging (Aramatsu Crayfish *Harvester) 
Logging (Aramatsu Crayfish *Loader) 
Logging (Aramatsu Kite 3) 
Logging (MTK Proseka 200 *Forwarder) 
Logging (Kronenwerk L-34 *Loader) 
Logging (Kronenwerk L-34 *Forwarder) 
Logging (Greenway 740 Cross *Forwarder) 
Cranes (Mule T1 *Crane Truck) 
Cranes (Baikal 59-16) 
Cranes (Zikz 612C) 
Cranes (EPEC HWC-945) 
Cranes (EPEC TC-305) 
Cranes (EPEC TC-305 *Claw) 
Cranes (EPEC LT 200 *Claw Cargo) 
Cranes (Vostok ETV-89) 
Comments
Scouts (Armiger Thunder IV)
Armiger Thunder IV Scout
Price:Free! Unlock:Precipice
Notes: The generally agreed better starter scout, mostly due to it having a shorter wheelbase. However, the difference between this and the Minuteman K350 is minor, so the choice is mostly personal preference. Additionally, while these are the worst scouts in the game, because of the role scouts serve it is quite possible to finish all of the campaigns without buying a more capable scout.
Pros:
  • Free
Cons:
  • Rapidly replaced
Scouts (Minuteman K350)
Minuteman K350 Scout
Price:Free! Unlock:Precipice
Notes: The generally agreed worse starter scout, mostly due to it having a longer wheelbase. However, the difference between this and the Armiger Thunder IV is minor, so the choice is mostly personal preference. Additionally, while these are the worst scouts in the game, because of the role scouts serve it is quite possible to finish all of the campaigns without buying a more capable scout.
Pros:
  • Free
Cons:
  • Rapidly replaced
Scouts (Armiger Thunder SAR)
Armiger Thunder SAR Scout
Price: 12,800 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: An upgrade over the "starter scouts", not incredibly expensive and available immediately. If you enjoy the scouts and you want a better one immediately this is a worthwhile purchase as it will be several company levels until you can purchase a better one.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Straight upgrade over starters
Cons:
  • Obsolete upon reaching company level 9
Scouts (Minuteman K350 Rescue)
Minuteman K350 Rescue Scout

Price: 11,300 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: An upgrade over the "starter scouts", not incredibly expensive and available immediately. If you enjoy the scouts and you want a better one immediately this is a worthwhile purchase as it will be several company levels until you can purchase a better one.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Straight upgrade over starters
Cons:
  • Obsolete upon reaching company level 9
Scouts (Invictus Type A)
Invictus Type A Scout

Price: 35,000 Unlock:DLC
Notes: DLC. This is a very capable scout. However, due to the higher price, unless you go out of your way to farm money in the early game you will not be able to afford it. Also, in the early game you have much more critical purchases leading to this realistically getting obtained a little later, at which point it is preferred to get the Malamute.
Scouts ("Malamute" Don 72)
"Malamute" Don 72 Scout
Price:42,000 Unlock:Company level 9
Notes: Unlocked at company level 9. Amazing scout, likely to be your most used. However, one of the later unlocked scouts will likely take its place.
Pros:
  • Great ground clearance
  • Fastest vehicle in game
Cons:
  • Most expensive scout
Scouts ("Karelian" Tuz 303)
"Karelian" Tuz 303 Scout

Price:39,400 Unlock:Sandswept
Notes: Another good scout, however it is unlocked late and another scout is better in most all scenarios.
Pros:
  • Good offroad performance
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Low ground clearance
  • Mediocre reverse speed
  • Very expensive
Scouts ("Lynx" Tuz 119)
"Lynx" Tuz 119 Scout

Price:24,990 Unlock:Deluge
Notes: The best scout in my opinion. Unfortunately it is unlocked quite late however it may be worth it to start the deluge campaign just to get this vehicle as it is available immediately.
Pros:
  • Great ground clearance
  • Great fording capability
  • Does not care about mud
  • Quite cheap
Cons:
  • Can flip without care
Special Equipment ("Strannik" KHAN Lo)
"Strannik" KHAN Lo Field Service Vehicle

Price:Free! Unlock:Aftermath
Notes: Free field recovery vehicle. Huge convenience and time saver, set this double loaf up at a facility and teleport your crane/empty cargo vehicles there. Also great at recovering and towing your other vehicles.
Pros:
  • Did I mention it's free?
  • Great offroad
  • Massive QOL
  • Versatile
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Somewhat slow
  • Setup can be inconvenient
Special Equipment ("Krot" Vostok TK-53)
"Krot" Vostok TK-53 Cable Layer

Price:29,000 Unlock:Aftermath
Notes:Not much to say, only cable layer. Buying this will save you some time and convenience however whether that is worth 29,000 is up to you. Personally there are enough electric infrastructure objectives to make it worth it for me.
Pros:
  • Only cable layer
  • Fairly capable offroader
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Definitionally niche?
  • Rusty version will do same job, just slower around the map
Special Equipment ("Pike" Step 39331)
"Pike" Step 39331 Light Equipment Transporter

Price:21,000 Unlock:Aftermath
Notes: Possibly a very underrated and overlooked vehicle. The obvious use is for transporting the early road crafting vehicles. However, the Pike is also very capable as a cargo transporter and a light recovery vehicle.
Pros:
  • Versatile
  • Cheap
  • Great early cargo transporter
Cons:
  • Bouncy, quick to overload
Special Equipment (Zikz 605E *HET)
Zikz 605E Heavy Equipment Transporter

Price:25,000 Unlock: Sunken
Notes:Incredibly important vehicle as it is one of two dedicated vehicle haulers and the largest vehicle hauler. You absolutely will spawn this on every campaign multiple times. Obvious use case again is vehicle hauling but has incredible cargo capability as well.
Pros:
  • Best hauler/cargo transporter in game
  • Decent offroad capability even with heavy load
  • Massive QOL
  • Highest cargo capacity in game
  • Relevant entire game
Cons:
  • Lowboy trailer WILL get stuck
  • Long vehicle with permanent trailer
Special Equipment (Wayfarer ST7050)
Wayfarer ST7050 Semi-Truck

Price:35,000 Unlock:Company level 5
Notes: Very controversial vehicle. In my opinion quite unnecessary if you already have the much better Zikz 605E. Only two advantages I can think of, an enclosed bed to help you load cargo, and slightly better mobility on paved road.
Pros:
  • Huge bed for cargo
  • OK mobility
Cons:
  • Long vehicle, permanent huge bed.
  • Terrible offroad
  • Woefully under powered engine
  • A bit expensive for what it is
Special Equipment (Zikz 605E *Mobile Scalper)
Zikz 605E Mobile Scalper

Price:62,000 Unlock: Company level 12
Notes: A very unique and niche vehicle. If this vehicle were unlocked earlier it'd be a lot more useful, however this is not a vehicle you will use in every campaign. It can occasionally save you some fuel if you don't want to buy a quarry and sometimes it will make your life massively easier. Unfortunately other times the entire map is covered in sand quarries or the only places you need sand are in radius of a quarry already.
Pros:
  • Can save you a lot of time gathering sand
  • Makes some campaigns much easier
  • Capable Zikz 605E platform
Cons:
  • Very very niche
  • Expensive
  • MASSIVE permanent trailer
Special Equipment (Warden Kochevnik ATV)
Warden Kochevnik ATV
Price:120,000 Unlock:Company level 20
Notes: This thing changes the way you play the game, which makes sense as it unlocked so late. Resource storage has a lot of possibilities, how you use it is up to you but safe to say it is a big quality of life. This still has the respawn function of the KHAN so convenience on convenience. Such a massive disappointment though that it loses the winch of the KHAN. Buy it, use it.
Pros:
  • Crazy offroad capability
  • One of a kind resource storage
  • Massive QOL
  • Fast
Cons:
  • Slow to turn
  • Expensive
  • Last unlock
  • No winch
  • Very long
Road Works (Tayga 6455)
Tayga 6455 Dump Truck

Price:20,000 Unlock:Aftermath
Notes: I thoroughly recommend picking the Tayga up first, it will save you a lot of time making sand runs. While the vehicle is not amazing nor the best tipper in the game, it is a massive QOL early game that will not be replaced quickly. If you own the Aramatsu Bowhead DLC the Tayga will likely be replaced once you purchase that tipper. Can also serve as a pseudo cargo truck in a pinch.
Pros:
  • Quickest Tipper
  • Fairly capable offroad, even loaded
  • Will remain useful early-mid game
Cons:
  • Somewhat irrelevant upon obtaining Bowhead
  • Second lowest capacity tipper (10t)
  • Tricky to tip sand evenly
Road Works (Kronenwerk L-34 *Dozer)
Kronenwerk L-34 Dozer

Price:19,000 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: Just a really great purchase, the only sand flattening dozer until the Pioneer. Great for pushing junk into recycling, or clearing roads of rocks. Can also be very useful for recovering vehicles.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Relevant entire game
  • Versatile
Cons:
  • Top heavy in marching mode
Road Works ("Bunker" DS 135A)
"Bunker" DS 135A
Price:31,000 Unlock:Aftermath
Notes: Similar to the "Katok" roller, it is just not that worth it to upgrade your rusty paver and roller. The mobility increase barely comes into effect while paving, and when not paving this thing should be on the back of a hauler. The Bunker's saving grace is that the next best asphalt paver is not much of an upgrade, so I can understand sticking with the Bunker.
Pros:
  • Small
Cons:
  • Asphalt paver
  • Shorter width than upgrade
Road Works ("Katok" DS 55K)
"Katok" DS 55K Asphalt Paver
Price:18,000 Unlock:Aftermath
Notes: A very slight upgrade. It will save you some time paving but the mobility increase isn't enough to be faster than just loading it on a hauler and taking it to your site that way. Worth it if you plan on doing a lot of paving as the next upgrade isn't until company level 19.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Next upgrade comes late
Cons:
  • Small upgrade
Road Works (Baikal 65-206)
Baikal 65-206 Heavy Dump Truck

Price:36,000 Unlock:Sunken
Notes: The Baikal is Roadcraft's resident ADT and its kind of bad. It drips sand constantly, it can bottom out easily, and is sloooow. It isn't all bad though, impressive capacity and the mobile quarry feature make it somewhat relevant. Use it as a limited quarry and run your other tippers off of it is my advice. Can also serve as a pseudo cargo truck in a pinch.
Pros:
  • Best tipper capacity in game (40t)
  • Mobile quarry
  • Decent in mud
Cons:
  • Hitch will get stuck constantly
  • Slow
  • Actual bucket capacity is lower than advertised due to leakage
  • Poor maneuverability
Road Works (Aramatsu Bowhead 30T)
Aramatsu Bowhead 30T

Price:65,000 Unlock:DLC
Notes:DLC. It's hard to find anyone who regrets purchasing the Bowhead. Just an amazing all-rounder tipper. Can also serve as a pseudo cargo truck in a pinch.
Pros:
  • Tracked
  • Great offroad
  • Decent capacity (20t)
  • Fairly quick for a tracked vehicle
  • Mobile quarry
Cons:
  • Reverse could be better
  • Controls on console can be annoying at times
  • Expensive
Road Works (EPEC LT 200)
EPEC LT 200 Dump Truck
Price:42,000 Unlock:Company level 12
Notes: Just why. I will say five tons of sand is a lot more than I had originally thought but realistically you pay forty-two thousand for what is a functionally worse Tayga. Avoid.
Pros:
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Lowest Capacity (5t)
  • Bad ground clearance
  • Slow

Road Works (Arling Roadworks 120 Special)
Arling Roadworks 120 Special Asphalt Paver

Price:62,000 Unlock:Company level 14
Notes: Just a really underwhelming upgrade from another mediocre vehicle. What I dislike the most going from the Bunker to the Arling is the much larger size. This means that you cannot comfortably fit this on the Pike's bed, and fitting it on the Zikz bed with another vehicle is a tight squeeze.
Pros:
  • Best paving width
  • A little more manageable than the Bunker
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Still an asphalt paver
Road Works (Vostok ATM-53 Pioneer)
Vostok ATM-53 Pioneer Tracked Dozer

Price:25,000 Unlock:Sojourn
Notes: The other sand flattening dozer. In this road crafting role the Pioneer is superior to the Kronenwerk dozer. However, the Pioneer is noticeably more sluggish and has less vertical guidance with its blade. Also, the blade angling both ends, while unique, can make pushing around junk a little inconvenient.
Pros:
  • Tracked
  • Superb sand flattening
  • Fairly cheap
Cons:
  • Blade will get caught up often
  • Quite slow
  • Late unlock
  • Not as versatile as the Kronenwerk L-34 Dozer
Road Works (Arling Roadworks 750R)
Arling Roadworks 750R
Price:28,000 Unlock:Company level 19
Notes: When I finally unlocked this and saw the point one meter increase in rolling width I laughed. This comes so late that you shouldn't choose waiting for it over buying the Katok, and even when you do finally unlock it, it's only a little faster. It is at least easier to load on a hauler than the Katok.
Pros:
  • Faster than Katok
  • More stable than Katok
Cons:
  • Late unlock
  • Small upgrade
Cargo (Mule T1)
Mule T1 Cargo Truck
Price:17,000 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: Not a bad vehicle at all, actually a fairly capable platform. However, this vehicle is just immediately outdated. Why use this when you can use the exact same vehicle, just with a crane.
Pros:
  • Good platform
  • Capable offroad
  • Quick
  • Cheap
Cons:
  • Immediately outdated
  • Select vehicles are better cargo carriers
  • Known to tip when overloaded
Cargo (Azov 43-17 DL)
Azov 43-17 DL Cargo Truck
Price:17,000 Unlock:Company level 4
Notes: If you just wait one company level you get the Wayfarer that is just as bad offroad with much better cargo capability. Both are for large loads over roads, however the price of the Azov may be tempting early on if you're itching for a big bed.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Great mobility
  • Very large bed for price.
Cons:
  • Poor performance with weight
  • Awful offroad
  • Wayfarer takes role almost immediately
Cargo (Voron 3327)
Voron 3327 Cargo Truck

Price:18,000 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: I like the Voron however looking at it and the Pike I don't really see a purpose to use the Voron while comparing the stats. Basically a Mule T1 that is more capable offroad and less prone to tipping.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Effective early game cargo truck
  • Decent offroad
Cons:
  • Quickly overshadowed
  • Middling capacity and bed size
Cargo (MTK Proseka 200)
MTK Proseka 200

Price:21,000 Unlock:Incommunicado
Notes: A bit of a sleeper, although I question how worth it this is. The bed is not impressive and lacks the utility of the Mule T1 crane and haulers. That being said it is probably the best of the early game cargo trucks that can go offroad, and it does offroad very well. Its worth mentioning the turn radius will be a pain when trying to load cargo.
Pros:
  • Great offroad
  • Decently quick
  • Resistant to overload
Cons:
  • Awful turning radius
  • Bed size for price lackluster
Cargo (Kronenwerk L-34 *Cargo Truck)
Kronenwerk L-34 Cargo Truck with Blade

Price:26,000 Unlock:Company Level 5
Notes: Not a bad vehicle I just really don't see the point of it though. Poor capacity bed with great offroad capability. However you're paying twenty-six thousand credits for a bed the same size as the Mule T1 and a dozer blade that can't flatten sand with very limited movement. By the time you're looking at buying this you have vehicles that are much better at their specialized role. Also, this vehicle has no right to be in the roadwork category in game.
Pros:
  • Decent capacity, seems to carry much more than advertised
  • Blade can be useful pushing junk, rocks, and stumps
  • Semi-Versatile
  • Resistant to overload
Cons:
  • Very short ineffective blade
  • Small bed size
  • Expensive for capability
Cargo (Greenway 740 Cross *Blade)
Greenway 740 Cross Blade
Price:43,000 Unlock:Company Level 7
Notes: This is sort of everything the Kronenwerk L34 Blade wants to be. Great bed space, can definitely carry more than expected. A little slow though.
Pros:
  • Very spacious bed
  • Good capacity
  • Great platform
  • Decent offroad
  • Small blade won't catch objects accidentally
  • Fairly versatile
  • Resistant to overload
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Blade can still get caught on rough terrain
Logging (MTK 100M)
MTK 100M Stump Mulcher

Price:17,000 Unlock:Incommunicado
Notes: Tree Mulchers are just not very useful vehicles as any vehicle heavy enough can just push over stumps. Also in my experience this thing seems to lose grip a lot and struggle to turn. Not bad at its role but its not really worth transporting to your log felling area, nor is it worth the credits.
Pros:
  • Great for clearing routes through wooded areas
Cons:
  • Slow
  • Role invalidated by heavy vehicles
  • Poor maneuverability
  • Top heavy
Logging (MTK MD-76 *Harvester)
MTK MD-76 Tree Harvester
Price:22,000 Unlock:Incommunicado
Notes: Not a bad vehicle at all but I can't help but feel it is an unnecessary upgrade, as it is still too slow to bring even a moderate distance away from your base without a hauler. Still, if you're looking at the Crayfish Harvester the MTK does logging just as well, its even more stable than the Crayfish. If the rusty version is too slow for you just save for the Crayfish and if you don't care about logging don't buy either.
Pros:
  • Very stable
  • Cheap
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Slow
  • Overhang will strike objects
  • Insignificant improvement
Logging (MTK MD-76 *Loader)
MTK MD-76 Log loader
Price:21,000 Incommunicado
Notes: Completely overkill, the MTK and Crayfish loaders are unnecessary when loading forwarders because they have their own cranes. They can be used to load other types of cargo vehicles but I'd rather use the Kronenwerk loader in that case. These may have some niche where having the crane on a fully rotating independent platform can be useful, however I haven't encountered that situation. Also, because of the boom the MTK uses, it is much more finnicky and difficult to use than that of a log forwarder because it doesn't extend or retract in the same way those do. If you've used the MTK harvester you'll get a feel for it, that includes the downsides of the MTK MD-76 platform itself.
Pros:
  • Cheap
  • Stable
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Log loaders are available on all forwarders
  • Slow
Logging (Aramatsu Crayfish *Harvester)
Aramatsu Crayfish Tree Harvester

Price:54,000 Unlock:Company level 10
Notes: Another not bad vehicle, the Crayfish is noticeably faster the MTK harvester but that's about it. While it is faster, I still don't want to cross the map in it, for long trips I load it on the hauler. You'll miss the neutral traverse that the MTK offers, and the Crayfish seems to be more unstable when cutting trees, especially over the sides. May be worth it if you do a lot of logging and can splurge.
  • Quick for a harvester
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Not a meaningful enough upgrade
  • Can be unstable
Logging (Aramatsu Crayfish *Loader)
Aramatsu Crayfish Log Loader

Price:44,000 Unlock:Company level 11
Notes: Another dedicated loader, another largely irrelevant vehicle. While it may be better than the MTK loader, its expensive and still worse than probably any dedicated crane. Avoid unless you have money to burn.
Pros:
  • Quick for a harvester
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Log loaders are available on all forwarders
  • Can be unstable
Logging (Aramatsu Kite 3)
Aramatsu Kite 3 Stump Mulcher
Price:41,000 Unlock:Company level 13
Notes: When I bought this thing I was ready to hate it because of how trivial the stump mulcher role was but I was pleasantly surprised. It feels much better than the MTK 100M to drive and is wide enough to cut down multiple stumps at a time. The mulcher can also shift up or down but it is probably more annoying than useful.
Pros:
  • Tracked
  • Wide blade will hit multiple stumps
  • Great for clearing routes through wooded areas
  • Fairly capable offroad
Cons:
  • Role invalidated by heavy vehicles
  • Fairly expensive
  • Slow, not as slow as MTK 100M
Logging (MTK Proseka 200 *Forwarder)
MTK Proseka 200 Log Forwarder
Price:24,000 Unlock:Incommunicado
Notes: The poor turning radius was annoying in its cargo layout, its downright torture when you're trying to weave through stumps, log piles, and other forestry equipment. You could also just save another thousand credits to buy the Kronenwerk forwarder, which maybe doesn't handle mud as well and is less stable but you at least you won't be making 20 point turns trying to line up with logs. Still, if you can tolerate the abysmal turning the vehicle is otherwise quite functional.
Pros:
  • Fairly versatile
  • Cheap
  • Good offroad
  • Resistant to overload
Cons:
  • Awful turning radius
Logging (Kronenwerk L-34 *Loader)
Kronenwerk L-34 Log loader

Price:23,000 Unlock:Company level 7
Notes: A truly versatile vehicle. Logs? Yep. Pipes? Yep. While it can also still perform some of the bonus features of the original Kronenwerk dozer, like recovery and pushing junk/rocks around. Not great for loading forwarders though, as the pylons that hold the logs in are too tall. Use this to corral logs, load non-logging cargo vehicles, and use the cranes on forwarders to load themselves.
Pros:
  • Very versatile
  • Great for recycling around facilities
  • Relatively cheap
  • Good platform
Cons:
  • May not be worth purchase if you do no logging
  • Claw can be tricky to use
  • Needs more claw tilt
Logging (Kronenwerk L-34 *Forwarder)
Kronenwerk L-34 Log Forwarder

Price:25,000 Unlock:Company level 8
Notes: Perfectly capable log forwarder, A little top heavy when loaded but a good platform otherwise. It should be noted that you can load other types of cargo than logs and use the crane for beams in addition to logs.
Pros:
  • Fairly versatile
  • Cheap
  • Good platform
  • Resistant to overload
Cons:
  • Top Heavy
Logging (Greenway 740 Cross *Forwarder)
Greenway 740 Cross Log Forwarder
Price:55,000 Unlock:Company level 10
Notes: Probably the best of the forwarders but very expensive (the most expensive vehicle in the logging category, wow.). If you already bought one of the other ones before unlocking it I would avoid upgrading until you've got a healthy bank account.
Pros:
  • Great platform
  • Fairly versatile
  • Resistant to overload
Cons:
  • Very expensive
  • Crane can be buggy
Cranes (Mule T1 *Crane Truck)
Mule T1 Crane Cargo Truck

Price:27,000 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: An obvious must buy, a huge convenience and time saver. You will deploy this multiple times in every campaign.
Pros:
  • Technically only crane cargo truck
  • Great Platform
  • Huge QOL
  • Cheap for capability
  • Incredibly Versatile
  • Crane and anchors great for up-righting vehicle
Cons:
  • Boom reach can be underwhelming
  • Stability heavily affected by load
Cranes (Baikal 59-16)
Baikal 59-16 Mobile Crane

Price:23,000 Unlock:Precipice
Notes: The Baikal is a good preface to mention that all the cranes in this game are great. The class is super versatile and the best at loading cargo, while taking the mantle as "recovery vehicles". Another thing to mention is having multiple cranes is a very nice QOL as it allows you to just leave a crane at each facility/base and use it as a dedicated loader. With all that in mind the Baikal is probably the worst crane. The short boom length can make it quite awkward loading cargo if you don't position it carefully.
Pros:
  • Quick
  • Maneuverable
  • Versatile
  • Cheap
Cons:
  • Short boom length
  • Slow to turn
Cranes (Zikz 612C)
Zikz 612C Heavy Mobile Crane

Price:44,000 Unlock:Sunken
Notes: A great upgrade to the Baikal, another crane never hurts. See Baikal notes.
Pros:
  • Great boom length
  • Quick
  • Decent offroad
  • Versatile
Cons:
  • Long
  • Sluggish turning
Cranes (EPEC HWC-945)
EPEC HWC-945 Heavy Mobile Crane

Price:56,000 Unlock:Company Level 15
Notes: Best performing crane in the game no doubt. However the price is quite steep and it is unlocked late. See Baikal notes.
Pros:
  • Best boom length
  • Best lifting capacity
  • Very fast
  • Maneuverable for its size
  • Versatile
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Anchors extend very far

Cranes (EPEC TC-305)
EPEC TC-305 Tracked Heavy Crane

Price:58,000 Unlock:Company Level 16
Notes: A big leap from the previous wheeled cranes, however this is still a very capable vehicle. All those good things I mentioned in the Baikal notes still apply. However, this vehicle is especially good for facilities as it can attach, and move around heavy junk because it has no anchors. It also is great offroad and might be your first choice if you have to retrieve some kind of heavy cargo in a low infrastructure area. That is where the good things end, this thing is seriously heavy, and slow. You will notice your Zikz 605E start to struggle hauling just this thing around, which you will have to do because of the aforementioned slowness. Also the boom length and strength is not impressive for its price. The Zikz 612C has a much better crane, while being fourteen thousand credits cheaper. This is not a mandatory vehicle, but it won't hurt to add to your ever-growing collection of cranes.
Pros:
  • No anchors
  • Capable boom
  • Good offroad performance
  • Tracked
  • Versatile
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Worse boom than cheaper alternative
  • Late unlock
Cranes (EPEC TC-305 *Claw)
EPEC TC-305 Tracked Heavy Claw Crane

Price:53,000 Unlock:Company level 17
Notes: Definitely the best claw vehicle we have, unfortunately claws are not that good. Thankfully though, the platform is quite good. Similar use case to the LT200 claw, use it to recycle junk. The larger claw is a lot more versatile, still not as versatile as the rope cranes.
Pros:
  • Good offroad performance
  • Tracked
  • Great for clearing rocks
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Late unlock
  • Tracked
  • Claw limits use case
Cranes (EPEC LT 200 *Claw Cargo)
EPEC LT 200 Claw Cargo Truck


Price:46,000 Unlock:Company level 12
Notes: This is the big crane exception. While this vehicle is vastly different than the other cranes, it does still serve a purpose. Similar to the EPEC tracked heavy crane this thing is great at cleaning out junk in facility areas. It also is a quite decent platform, don't let the low bed capacity of five tons fool you, it is capable of much more. Still, the LT 200 is basically a glorified Mule T1 Crane that costs nineteen thousand credits more, yes it can carry more and yes it is better offroad. It is just really not justifiable to splurge on this if you're tight for cash, there are much better options.
Pros:
  • Good offroad, even with load
  • Crane+Bed
  • Versatile
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Slow
  • Claw can be difficult
  • Difficult to grab large cargo
  • Expensive for what it is
  • Bad ground clearance
Cranes (Vostok ETV-89)
Vostok ETV-89 Tracked Compact Crane
Price:52,000 Unlock:Company level 18
Notes: Definitely an odd vehicle that strays from the traditional crane route. Excelling at vehicle recovery, this thing destroys mud and is very fast, especially for a tracked vehicle. But, is it really worth it this late to get a fairly expensive crane, that is not actually that great at loading cargo etc.? This thing is fun to rip around but when it comes to vehicle recovery, often times just the strongest lift weight is what matters.
Pros:
  • Best offroad in class
  • Very fast
  • No anchor
  • Tracked
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Boom is lackluster
  • Very limited traverse on boom
13 Comments
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Arri Shi 26 Jul @ 3:44am 
-This is an even more minor thing, but the Starter Minuteman has a secret ability. The bed is fully rendered and can perform light duty work! Sure you can't strap things down but it's deep enough to carry collectibles and small scrap securely without having to involve one of your bigger cargo trucks. It's something, at least!
Arri Shi 26 Jul @ 3:44am 
It's a tiny thing, but there is some difference between the Minuteman and the Thunder:

-The Thunder is lighter, more highly balanced and generally better at cross country and urban exploration, especially self-winching. The Minuteman is heavier, better balanced, and has better power, giving it a slight edge in winching scout objects and the occasional stuck vehicle. Balance shouldn't be understated either. I find it nearly impossible to roll the Minuteman while I have to be mindful of how I orient the Thunder.

-The upgraded versions are much like above, though they have better grip and a higher ride height. The Rescue Minuteman has just enough power, weight and winchwork to perform minor rescue ops of your highway trucks. The SAR Thunder is equipped with a high snorkel, giving it one of the best submerse depths for scouts in the game in the few places it matters.
Emgyr 26 Jun @ 12:54pm 
Vostok ETV-89 - the most useful crane, capable of working both as a tractor for stuck equipment and as a carrier of heavy loads, very fast and extremely stable. I use other cranes ONLY if a large boom reach is absolutely necessary. He definitely deserves five stars.
Twinksplitter 10 Jun @ 11:03am 
One thing that might be worth mentioning about the EPEC HWC-945 is that it's just as tall as the Ziks heavy crane, but not as wide, making it a little less stable andmoretop heavy.

I've had the EPEC tip over on me on some rough terrain where the Ziks didn't.

Also, the MTK and Crayfish loaders do deserve a bit of recognition for their utility in co-op games. You can have one person harvesting while another person worries about gathering the logs, either into a pile for the Kronenwerk loafer, or next to a waiting forwarder.

This way you don't have to worry about trying to thread a forwarder through the stumps and such to gather up each log.
Dimonius 7 Jun @ 9:55am 
Think we need wider roller, in dimensions it can be same as top but should roll same wide as top asphalt layer, I roll 2 times every road, dont like unfinished job on sides )))
Dimonius 7 Jun @ 9:53am 
Claw units are useless, all u need top crane, bower, MTK Proseka 200 forwarder is best from all forest workers, last night on last map i took 18 logs, have best log arm can take 2 logs same time. If you load 2 top loggers with same 15 timbers, proseka will be faster to load and move way better. It deserve 4 star, -1 for turn radius.
We need better crane and bed truck.
Twinksplitter 6 Jun @ 9:55am 
The Crayfish Harvester definitely deserves to be rated higher. The speed makes it ideal for quick logging tasks on certain maps, like Deluge, where you can drive it out alone, mow down a few nearby trees, and have a bridge up in moments without having to worry about loading a forwarder.
Rebbit 5 Jun @ 10:23am 
thanks
Moonhawk48 5 Jun @ 6:22am 
One thing that I have noticed is that the Kronenwork L-34 cargo truck is remarkably resistant to overloading, and is stable even when loaded high above the cab with stuff. That and the fact that it unlocks at a lower level made me start using it quite early.
Pandorian 4 Jun @ 6:10am 
I understand it's your opinion on some of these usefulness so I'm not going to argue with things I disagree with. I'd just like to point out that Stump Mulchers also have the ability to destroy trees that are already on their sides and blocking areas. The game doesn't really mention this.