American Truck Simulator may net you a driving job in real life

Major logistics company is looking for drivers in the game

Schneider National, a logistics company from the United States founded in 1935 and employing almost 20,000 people, is looking to recruit additional truck drivers – and it’s doing so in American Truck Simulator. Players of the PC title might already have noticed that some in-game billboards, which are often used by developer SCS Software to advertise new game updates or special events, are showing actual job advertisements.

Various slogans like “Get your career on the road” or “Make the switch to Schneider” can be read on the billboards alongside a call to action to apply for a job at the company’s website.

According to SCS Software’s blog, Schneider National approached the studio for its recruitment program due to the ongoing shortage of skilled professionals in this field.

“We aim to provide opportunities that bring attention to interesting details organically within our game world – things of value and deeper meaning,” the company stated. “That is why when Schneider National approached us with their desire for us to help them with their recruitment campaign, we were excited to collaborate since it presents something new and also allows us to assist the need of the trucking industry in general considering the current shortage of skilled professionals.”

SCS assured players that this is a “try-out phase” and that it would “respect your gaming experience and want to ensure that it remains enjoyable and immersive.” For now, players shouldn’t expect a flood of real-world ads to show in the game world.

According to Axios, Schneider National got the idea to take their recruitment program on the virtual road after some new recruits had shown driving skills over their anticipated level. The employees credited the time spent playing the simulation game for that, so the company decided to give this a try. The effectiveness of this form of recruitment is still unclear, as the campaign has only been running for a few weeks, but a spokesperson said that the company was “optimistic” about it.