Fantasy freelancers

[krigl]

Back again already to start the final tour in this screenshot thread - the Scandinavia DLC. We started the thread with it back in October 2018 and toured Denmark. Now it's time for Sweden and Norway. Well, the bottom bits, anyway.



And here's Anni, travelling from Hamburg to Kiel in Germany, because I wanted to check out the newish Germany/Denmark border post that's been added since we were last skanking around down Padborg way.



Revamped Germany is looking pretty decent, on the whole.









Kiel behind us, on the way to Flensburg now. Scandinavia deserves a bit of a lead-in, I feel, as it is of course a special place in the lore of ETS2 - the Place Where It All Started.



How so, I hear you ask, gentle readers. Beat that for an annoying phrase.



Well, of course, it's where ProMods started out back in the day. But it's also where SCS really began its climb out of the supermarket bargain bins, probably with more than a pinch of inspiration from ProMods, as if I remember correctly from the SCS blog back then, some of the PM team were even invited to the SCS studios to share their ProTips with the SCS crew.



Approaching the border with Denmark. And of course, ProMods were rewarded for their efforts to improve the game by SCS siting their first ever DLC slap-bang on top of PM's work. A bittersweet moment, no doubt, which was then repeated again and again. But let's face it, the game looks a great deal better now than it did back then. Would we really prefer a ProMods Europe made up of vanilla and Going East assets over what the game has become now? Probably not.



Ah, the border. Yes, a definite improvement. Very nice.



Cool.



We've got a delivery to make to Aalborg. Heading north through the Danish countryside.



The Scandinavia DLC was what brought me over to ProMods as well - after buying the game and Going East, I used TSM for a while. It covered a massive area, was about the same quality as the original game, and offered such delights as mountain roads in Greece, and driving non-stop from Aberdeen to Cairo.



When I read about PM visiting the SCS studio in an advisory capacity, I decided to check them out. And never looked back.





Sundown over Aalborg. Well after that exhaustively detailed, intriguing and strangely touching intro, let's hand things over to Anni - take it away, Anni.



So... I've spent a few years running deliveries all over Denmark and northern Germany, mainly. I have a way with customers, can park on a dime, and can fix almost any fault occurring when out on the road. I'm careful too, rarely sick - a model employee, you could say. So one day my boss said he's sending me to our branch in Sweden to 'work my magic'. Apparently they're sorely in need of it - profits are down, high absenteeism, and so on. I don't know what my boss thinks I'm going to do about it, but whatever, he's probably the boss for a reason. Picked up this old fifth-hand Scania cab from a dodgy vendor in Aalborg for the Swedish branch to replace something which the mechanic who called me said had 'just fallen apart' and went to find something to haul to my new home base in Linkoping city.



Load found, we're on our way to the Great Belt Bridge. It is the only way to Sweden for miles around, and look what we have here - a police roadblock almost at the entrance. Of course. Naturally, I pretended not to see them and just sailed blithely by on the hard shoulder.


I mean, what could possibly go wrong? Luckily, the police were deep in conversation and didn't notice as we went whistling past.


Ah. This is what could go wrong. Now what? Don't give up now Anni, I said to myself grimly.


Slowing slightly, we glided over to the hard shoulder once more, and squeezed past. Again, the firefighters were deeply engrossed in spraying the charred embers of whatever that sadly warped abomination was carrying, and I miraculously got away with it. High fives all round, beers on me tonight.


The road was pleasantly traffic free as we arrived at the exit booth from the bridge. I flashed the stuttering operator my most winning smile, paid the toll and we were away.





The south of Sweden, now ours to explore, yippee! Until next time...

Anni

[krigl]

Today we make our way up to Linkoping - quite a long and picturesque route.



During the fairly long drive, we enjoyed the typical Swedish country scenery and architecture, forests, fields and lakes. Here we're somewhere near Malmo.







Heading further north, where we'll be skirting Jonkoping, but not visiting this time.



Another accident...











Near Jonkoping.



So glad I spent all that money upgrading my computer to legendary level. Now it is finally able to render works of exquisite beauty like this.



Err... omg.



Bizarre manifestations of the scenery modeller's art aside, this has been a great route. Now approaching Linkoping.







Linkoping is the home of Saab HQ, an aviation museum and a small international airport.



We've finally arrived!



After dropping off the cargo, I drove the cab to my new workplace.



A secretary met me and apologised - the boss was too busy to greet his new hire. She went through a bunch of paperwork with me and then took me to a cheap hotel where I can stay when in town.



As we were walking there, two vintage Viggen attack aircraft thundered overhead. What a welcome.



They must have taken off from the local airport.





My hotel has a view of the Saab factory, so it's all very thematic. If only I were an aviation nerd.



The secretary told me to come in the next afternoon after settling in. When I arrived, the boss was off-site, and the secretary said that in that case I might as well start working. Some fresh fruit needed hauling back to Malmo. I said why not... a tired and hassled-looking mechanic said I could use the same cab that I brought yesterday but 'don't get too used to it - if it's relatively breakdown free, someone else is sure to claim it'. Well, okay.



Left town past the power station and headed back to Jonkoping. No new sights, so we can skip it.



Well, this sunset was nice. Things are not going too badly so far - everyone just seems really busy and tired. Perhaps everything's going to be fine?



Arrived in Jonkoping behind these nice new Scania cabs, and found a rest-stop. That's it for today.

Anni

[Bernhard_]

Again well taken shots!

[krigl]

Again well taken shots!

Thanks!

Today we cover a couple of routes in southern Sweden...



This is Jonkoping, an average kind of place, not too much to see.



Well, this is nice. Spent the night in town before making a move on Malmo. Again, we'll skip the journey because it was the same as on the way to Linkoping, and nothing untoward happened. To be honest, when I drive, not much ever does. Well, did...



Here's Malmo, which is quite picturesque.





After dropping off the fruit, my next job was to head to Trelleborg and pick up some packaged milk to take to the port in Kalmar. It was there that everything went wrong.



The Trelleborg area is very pleasant.







I picked up the milk, and off we went - first stop Ystad.



The McDonalds and other interesting assets and attention to detail clearly indicate that this is a ProMods city. SCS definitely upped the ante with Scandinavia, but they hadn't yet released Italy or Oregon, and ProMods were still a fair way ahead of the curve compared to SCS when it came to making realistic scenery and maps.





There was a ProMods Meal of the Year: Pizza sign (something like that) next to the train, which dispelled any of the last doubts anyone could have had in their mind.



This is the nearby port, where we pulled in because the engine started smoking. I checked it out, found the issue and reported in. 'Sorry, we normally check all newly purchased cabs, but there just wasn't time. Can you fix it?' 'Fixing it now.' 'Okay, good luck with the rest of the trip.'



Ystad behind us and the engine running smoothly once again, next stop Christianstad.





Christianstad, famous for its 14th century city fence, is an attractive place to pass by.



Now heading towards Karlskrona, the final place on the way to Kalmar. Making good progress. I like cloudy weather, it's a real pain driving with the sun in your eyes all the time.





Karlskrona - a typical collection of jobsites.





Karlskrona also has a port.



The final stretch to Kalmar lay ahead of us. When the DLC came out, it covered a big PM area and was far from perfect, so I guess the PM team just made a concerted effort to put back old scenery or add what they could with the new assets and then moved on to developing regions further north. The whole area seems very homogenous, without the wild swings in quality you see in the vanilla map regions. On the one hand it's not so interesting as when you're driving through an area of ugly scenery one minute, and then come across something made by PM in 2019 the next. But on the other the level of quality is decent enough, and it seems to me there's always something that catches the eye...



Here's Kalmar.



We drove to the drop-off point without incident as the sun dipped below the horizon. I was tired, and ready for a good night's sleep.



We were just heading through the industrial zone back towards town when disaster struck. The right side of the truck suddenly sagged and the cab veered to the right. I immediately corrected and brought the truck to a stop. There was an empty flat area by the side of the road, which was lucky as otherwise we'd have surely hit the curb. Parked up and got out the truck to see what had happened, and was shocked to see that the front wheel had just sheared off. Incredible. Lucky we hadn't been pulling a fully loaded trailer at max. speed on the motorway! I phoned the secretary on her personal mobile and she wasn't at all pleased to hear from me. I explained that this time it was beyond my powers to repair it, even with duct tape, and asked her for a number for the company's authorised service provider. She said the company didn't have such a thing, and they'd send some boys out tomorrow to take a look at it.



Great. What a mess. I went for a walk to calm my nerves and found this fine castle. It helped a little, but I still didn't sleep easy that evening.

Anni

[Bernhard_]

Some of the shots have a great perspective. Like it

[krigl]

Thanks a lot!

Today we travel across southern Sweden from Kalmar to Goteburg, and then down far south again to Helsingborg.



Here we are leaving Kalmar in my new ride. The fallout from the sheared off wheel was not pleasant at all. My first ever conversation with Mr Nykvist, the boss of the Swedish branch, involved him accusing me of hitting a kerb and causing the problem myself. My protests that there wasn't a kerb in sight where it happened, and that there was no damage to the front of the cab, fell on deaf ears. The head mechanic agreed with me when 'the boys' turned up to sort out the problem, but said it was pointless to argue. Basically, it was more than his job's worth to go toe to toe with the boss over a new hire.



So, I ended up with this... thing. One of the worst in the 'fleet', apparently. Don't get me wrong, Mercedes make great trucks, but as with any truck, you've got to look after them. You can't see from the pictures but it had some corrosion issues, and that was just the start. Unreliable as hell. I begged the previous driver for the manual before my first drive, but he called in sick the next day and no handover took place. Luckily I'd downloaded it to my laptop and studied it half the night before the job.



Passing through Vaxjo. Over the next couple of months I had to deal with a blown gasket, brake fluid leaks, blown tyres, contaminated clutch disk, ignition problems, you name it, I had to fix it, or get it fixed. The mechanics told me it was no different with the last driver, but whenever I had occasion to see Mr Nykvist, he made sure to address me as the Great Truck Ruiner of Denmark and so on.



Vaxjo overview. One day he called me into his office, which turned out to be some kind of shrine to Mercedes - various models and posters. Fair enough, everyone needs a hobby, right? Most of the fleet were Mercedes, so he obviously bought them over other brands if the price was right. To be honest though, living in a country that has not just one but THREE major vehicle manufacturers, two of which make very capable trucks, and the third, jet aircraft for heavens sake - why would you want to buy German? But sure, why not. Anyway, he told me that he'd have sacked me long ago if I hadn't been sent by the big cheese at Denmark HQ. He said I'd better clean up my act, but what can I do - I drive very well, but the truck keeps falling to pieces under me.



Vaxjo to Jonkoping. Anyway, I keep on persevering. Sunny smiles and a can-do attitude for the clients means that some of them have started asking for me by name, which seems to anger Mr Nykvist still more.



Passing Jonkoping.





Anyway, after a few months of suffering I took this job from Kalmar to Goteborg, and it turned out to be another fateful day - but in a good way this time.





Here's Goteborg. It's pretty nice. I had half a day free, so I decided to drive to the Volvo factory to check it out.



Of course, the truck suddenly stopped as we were driving around the outside trying to get a look at the new trucks, and once again I had to get out and fix it. I was just getting myself cleaned up and a very smart, good-looking young guy showed up. He'd spotted me from the window of an admin building, and complemented me on my truck-fixing skills. I turned on the charm as I always do, and we got on very well. Eventually, inevitably, we got to what was at least one of the reasons why he'd walked out to see me - their driver had just called in sick and they needed someone to take some parts down to Helsingborg - was I free? Well, of course I was. Why take an afternoon off when you can drive?



I was still more pleased when I saw what I would be driving - it looked in mint condition.



So, we loaded up and got on our way.





Goteborg offers some fine views.





It was lovely when we started out, and we made good progress.



Then the weather changed, and there was talk on the radio of high winds and thunderstorms. Started to feel a little nervous - the truck's engine was singing sweetly, and I had the eerie feeling that something just has to go wrong soon.



Well, soon the storm arrived, and it started tipping down. The wind was gusting and shaking us around - not so bad that it would be foolhardy to drive, but a bit hair-raising. Nothing a truck driver hasn't met before though.





A glimpse of the sea.



I almost couldn't believe it, but nothing happened in the end. We arrived in Helsingborg without incident, and in good time. Just a routine drive, like almost every day back in Denmark.



We dropped off the cargo at a warehouse and enjoyed a good, strong coffee and a tasty cake.



The weather had cleared up when it was time to leave. Dropped the cab back off at the Volvo plant - met with a box of chocolates and more complements on handling the tricky conditions so well - and went out with my new friend and some other staff from his office in the evening. Best day I've had for ages. The Volvo guy said he'd been put off using our company in the past due to its bad reputation, but he's thinking of giving us another chance - especially if I'll be driving. He also asked if we needed any trucks. I said I doubted we could afford them right now, but I do have a colleague in Finland who is looking into replacing some of the fleet. Ended up giving out two phone numbers that evening. I'm sure Mr Sourpuss Nykvist will be overjoyed, but I frankly couldn't care less.

Anni

[Bernhard_]

Where do you get the little Mercedes?

[krigl]

Where do you get the little Mercedes?

Hi, it's on Steam, the name is: Swap Body Carrier Chassis [Krone DLC required]

As you can see, you need the Krone DLC. The truck can't carry anything on its own, which is annoying. It can theoretically tow a trailer, but I haven't tried that - just pretended to carry something

[krigl]

Today we're sort of retreading old ground, but via different roads - I think. Also visiting Stockholm for the first time, and popping over the sea for a quick visit to Estonia.



After my adventures with Volvo my contact Nils in Goteborg did indeed er... contact my friend in Finland, and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing the Finnish crew actually bought some new Volvos. Nils was very pleased. On top of that, Volvo signed a contract with Mr Nykvist, so I started delivering parts for them occasionally, and the Big Cheese himself in Copenhagen, Mr Lund, called Nykvist and advised him to give me a better truck, so things have got a bit better for me recently. Here we are travelling from Helsingborg to Vaxjo in my latest ride. I still have to get my hands dirty with it occasionally, but not so often.


Fruit again, no doubt. On top of that, Nils and I have started dating, so things have been pretty positive all round. Nykvist is still extremely rude, but that's probably never going to change.


Strange roundabout No. 311, en route from Vaxjo to Kalmar. Hopefully the wheels won't fall off when we get there.


Ikea in Kalmar. Wish I could claim the credit for this contract, but we've been delivering for them for years. I have some Ikea furniture back home - it always seems to fall to bits after a while. Maybe they make truck parts, too?


Kalmar to Linkoping.






Linkoping, my current home base. This time we're just passing through - we've got an international job to do today - delivering to Paldiski near Tallinn in Estonia.


More Saab jets, awesome.


On the way to Stockholm and the nearby port of Kapellskar, we pass under this unusual bridge, the Nykopingsbro. Wish we could stop at the Rasta for a coffee break, but the ferry's not going to wait - got to get a move on.




Mr Lund actually called me up from Denmark a couple of days back. He was pleased with the Volvo deal, but frustrated with my lack of progress in finding out what exactly is going on in Linkoping - why the business is doing so badly. Something's rotten in the state of Sweden, he said.


Passing through Stockholm.


I told him - Nykvist is a jerk to everyone - not just me. They staff are badly motivated, it feels like the company is failing, and they pass it onto the customers. The trucks keep breaking down, meaning late deliveries, and occasionally clients get fed up with it and move on. Our bad rep means that new customers are hard to come by. Because everything's so static and negative, there's not enough money for more employees and better trucks and parts, and nothing like bonuses or whatever, creating a vicious circle of dark despair. It's just badly led, that's all.


You might be right, said Lund - but according to our best estimates there should be more money around than there is. It's like some of it is disappearing into a big hole, but we can't prove it - they have a very good accountant and lawyer, and they're kind of semi-autonomous - Nykvist was in charge when we took over the company, and according to the deal we struck he has to remain in charge. Since then everything's gone downhill with them, but there's not a lot we can do, except for sell it again, but at a loss. We need to find out where the money's going, but don't have the tools to do so. We need some leverage.


I said - they've got a very good accountant and lawyer - mystery solved! That's where the money's going! But Mr Lund was not convinced.


He said he was going to meet a psychologist friend of his, and try to up the pressure on Nykvist. Be ready for anything, he said... well, alright. No pressure, I guess...


We arrived in Kapellskar at dusk.




The journey across the Baltic was a little rough, but we arrived in Paldiski safe and sound, and headed for the warehouse to drop off the flat-packed chipboard wonder furniture we've been carrying all this way.


Estonia was looking as green and lush as ever.


Houses have gardens and drives here - amazing.


There was actually something to take back with us, so I went to pick it up and then headed back to the port.




I was just getting comfortable in the bar on the ferry when Nykvist phoned. Apparently he's done a deal with Scania, and they are going to try his company out - "you're not the only person who brings in business, you know" he said. They want some parts shifted from Sodertalje, and he's decided I should take care of it, as everyone seems to love me. After making dire threats about sending me back home should I mess this up and lose him the contract, he hung up. So... I should head to our base in Vasteras after making the current delivery to pick up the paperwork, and then get on it. Well, okay. Sounds a bit fishy though. I've been here in Linkoping for 11 months and Mr Nykvist has never shown any sign of trying to get new clients - and I can't imagine him recommending me to anyone. Hmm. The plot thickens. That's it for today... Anni.

[krigl]

Well, here we are just rolling off the ferry in Kapellskar.



On the road to Stockholm. Once we arrived in Vasteras that evening I went to see Mr Nykvist at the local branch. He'd apparently driven up there to meet me, and he was in a strangely good mood. He gave me all the paperwork and explained a bunch of details. I guessed that landing a deal with Scania had cheered him up. Apparently I have to head to Sodertalje with my truck tomorrow morning and pick up some truck parts, and then deliver them to Visby on Gotland.


Skirting Stockholm - Vasteras is not far ahead. Nykvist then told me that Sodertalje is Swedish for South Italy. When I expressed a certain respectful scepticism, he insisted it was true. Apparently, a Viking captain with a poor sense of direction had named it that way. It was a bit like Columbus thinking he'd found India in the Caribbean. But Sodertalje is surrounded on all sides by considerable portions of Sweden, I protested - how could this deluded raider possibly have thought that? 'He was a land yacht captain', Nykvist said. Have to say that is one of the most rubbish jokes I've ever heard. But at least he was in a good mood. Maybe he's human after all. He was almost likeable... it seemed for a moment that I'd been afflicted by Stockholm syndrome.


The friendly interlude didn't last long, however. He finished the meeting with his usual dire warnings about what will happen if I mess up. Apparently he's going to send me back home to Denmark, whatever Mr Lund says. Well, I'm not going to mess up - this is a girl who brings contracts home for the boss, even for a corrosive loser like Mr Nykvist.


Arriving in Vasteras. Stayed overnight in a hotel after meeting the boss. Wanted to be Well Rested for the big day tomorrow.


Vasteras view. Went into work bright and early with all my gear and got in the truck. Turned the key in the ignition... and nothing. Tried again and again, and no dice. Cursing, I had a look at the engine, and after a while found that a crucial lead was damaged beyond repair. The strange thing was, I had replaced that lead just the other week with a new one. What on earth was this old one doing there. There could only be one reason - Sabotage! Nykvist had set me up. I called the local mechanic and we went through all the parts they had onsite looking for a new lead - nothing. Almost crying with frustration, I ran to see if there were any more trucks available, and nothing. What on earth was I going to do?


Then I noticed that one of the bays was locked, and could see the dim outline of what looked like a truck inside. What's this, I asked. 'Moderbjorn' What? Mother Bear? 'That's right - Mr Nykvist's private truck. He keeps it here. Don't even think about it. You can't go in there.'
'Just you try and stop me', I said, and pushed past him to where the keys are kept. Choosing the one on a teddy bear keychain, I ran to open the lock, and pushed the button to open the door.


'That's momma bear? Does it work? I'm taking it'. Disregarding the mechanic's weak protests, I used the other keys on the chain to open the cab and get the engine started. 'You can't take that - the boss will seriously murder you.' 'I'm not letting this contract get away from us - goodbye!' The engine roared, and we were off.


We were really late, but this thing could really shift.


The inside was filled with all kinds of ridiculous bobbleheads and other stuff. I can't understand how anyone can concentrate with a space shuttle whirling around their head when they're trying to drive.


Soon we were on the motorway, and for once in my life I exceeded the speed limit in the hope of making up for lost time.


Some nice views, but I had eyes only for the road.


I managed to slow for the automatic speed cameras, but unluckily the cops spotted me and pulled me over. More time lost. I paid the fine out of my own pocket and headed onwards at exactly the speed limit, knowing that arriving late was now going to be inevitable.


Approaching Sodertalje.




FINALLY we were there. An hour late, despite my best efforts.


I felt completely devastated as I announced my arrival at the main gate. What was I going to say?


So many Scanias. If Scania decide to drop us - even though it's not my fault - and after 'stealing' Nykvist's truck - the results are not going to be pretty. What a nightmare. Well, we screeched to a halt at the loading area and the Scania rep came out of the building, eyes bulging and jaw sagging in astonishment. 'What on earth is this?', he asked. Then he saw my desperate, worried face and just started laughing. 'You look like you need a serious drink', he said. 'Of coffee, anyway. Come and tell me what this is all about'. Well, what could I do - I told him the details, and a few other things I probably shouldn't have said. To my surprise, at the end of it he said - 'Well, you're here now, and you should still make the Visby ferry if you hurry - you'd better get going.' So I did.


Before we left, the Scania guy asked why the truck had two sets of exhaust pipes. I had to admit I didn't know. Maybe it's like 'more stripes = more Adidas'?


My mind was racing all the way to Stockholm. The whole situation was so bizarre. In the end I just decided to stop worrying and concentrate on getting to the ferry on time.




Passing through Stockholm again.




The Globen! My Dad saw Black Sabbath play here. It's the biggest spherical building in the world.


Nynashamn port - we got there on time. At least something went right today.


My relief was short-lived. Just as we were joining the queue for the ferry, Nykvist phoned. 'You <<unprintable>>', he shouted - 'you stole my truck!'

That's all for now - Anni