Beginner guide: your first route
Your first Diesel n' Steel run end to end: pick Driver, spawn a jeepney, load at the terminal, read the fare, hand back sukli and reach 500 EXP.
Spawn pod, Driver, the free Sarao Model 2.0, route Guiguinto-Bulakan. Load at the terminal counter, charge PHP 13 regular or PHP 11 discounted, give exact sukli, drop off at the green box. Your first 500 EXP is what unlocks codes.
Your first Diesel n' Steel run is a short, fixed sequence: spawn, take the Driver role at a spawn pod, pull out the free jeepney, choose a route, load passengers at a terminal, charge each one the fare for their stop, hand back exact change and set them down at the drop-off point. Do that twice on the shortest route and you have the whole game.
Start on Guiguinto-Bulakan. It is the shortest line out of Bulakan and every stop is a flat PHP 13 regular fare, which means you are not doing fare maths at the wheel while you are still learning the clutch.
Step 1: pick the Driver role at a spawn pod
Spawn pods sit at the terminals in Bulakan, Balagtas, Guiguinto and Malolos. Interact with one to choose your role and open the jeepney shop. Only the Driver role can spawn a jeepney. Take the Sarao Custombuilt Model 2.0 because it costs nothing, seats 18 plus 3 with sabit enabled, and carries a 50 litre tank.
Step 2: choose a route and find the right terminal
Your destination placard decides where you are allowed to load. For the Guiguinto run you want the Guiguinto-Bulakan terminal; for Balagtas you want the Balagtas terminal. Get it wrong and you queue for a load that will not board you.
There are two ways to pick people up. Queue inside the terminal and wait your turn, or collect passengers standing on the roadside. Loading from a roadside stop needs empty seats, so do not roll out half full if you intend to collect on the way.
Step 3: charge the right fare, every time
Every passenger's fare depends on the barangay they are getting off at, not on where they got on. The base is PHP 13 for the first four barangays and PHP 2 is added for each barangay after that. A student or a senior pays PHP 2 less than the regular figure.
| Your stop | Regular | Discounted |
|---|---|---|
| Matungao | PHP 13 | PHP 11 |
| MacArthur Highway | PHP 13 | PHP 11 |
| BSU | PHP 13 | PHP 11 |
| Tuktukan | PHP 13 | PHP 11 |
Read the fare, read the cash the passenger held out, subtract, and return that number. If the fare is 13 and they hand you 20, the sukli is 7. A mistake costs 1 EXP, so when you are unsure, slow down before you hand anything over. The full routine is on sukli: give the right change.
Step 4: drop off, refuel, repeat
Passengers get off at the drop-off point, which is the green-marked spot near each town. Dropping people off at the designated point is what completes the trip and pays the fare out.
Before the jeepney runs dry, visit a gas station. Prices follow real Philippine fuel rates and change every Tuesday, and the pump-boys fill the tank once you have paid. A diesel can costs PHP 1,500 and rescues a run, but it will not replace refuelling.
Step 5: reach 500 EXP, then open the code menu
Every completed trip adds EXP, and a drop-off at the designated point adds more. The single most useful EXP milestone is 500, because that is the point where the code redemption menu unlocks. Cash from codes is how most players pay for their first engine upgrade.
Work through the codes list once you cross it, then read parts, prices and upgrades before spending, because the free parts are not the ones you want to keep.
What to do in your first hour
- Two or three Guiguinto runs to learn the clutch and the terminal queue.
- One Balagtas run to practise a route with two different fares.
- Fix anything the trip damaged, then buy the PHP 7,000 4JJ1 engine if you can already afford it.
- Start the LTO paperwork in the order on the LTO hub. Doing it early means checkpoints stop costing
you money.
- Only after that should you look at a longer route or a more expensive jeepney.
FAQ
Do I need to pay anything to start?
No. The game is free and the Sarao Custombuilt Model 2.0 starter jeepney costs nothing.
Which route should a total beginner drive?
Guiguinto-Bulakan. It is the shortest line and the fare never changes, so there is nothing to calculate.
How do I get passengers faster?
Queue at the terminal, keep the correct placard, and use a barker if one is working the terminal. A full jeepney is worth far more than two rushed half-full ones.
What happens if I put the wrong fare in?
You lose 1 EXP per miscalculation. EXP matters because it gates both codes and unlocks.
