I've only played Rig 'n' Roll and Euro Truck Simulator.

And according pcgamingwiki :

18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul Includes all content from 18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin', with the addition of 3 cities in Mexico, 2 new trucks and other improvements.

18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker 2 ncludes all content from 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker and 2 new locations.

They all and no one at same time. Like 3DO do in M&M series and in Army Men series: new installments not always better or have all content\features.

Only Across America is most closed to Hard Truck 2 (and improved in simulators way) - im talk about completing game and AI opponents.
Im not sure which one, but one of the game have some optional missions like bus driving (bus stops as checkpoints) (another is maybe garbage truck). I guess it in Convoy only. Like in GTA - you find place\vechicle interred in it and mission started.

According to reviews :

Across America & Pedal to the Metal are the best of the serie.

Convoy is the worst.

two latest (18WoS:H and ALH) - have terrible interface for trucks, company business etc. And planning cargo more easy in PttM. Also how you can sleep. In latest games you must have Truck with sleep place to sleeping at any parking - from on of the truck\business menus (opened by [N]). And if you have "tiny" truck - only in specific places: which ones and how - i dont understand back in the days.

PttM too boring for me after few first cargo (you started as just driver on company owned trucks)(and after some delivery for my own - i skip to AA even in days when i have only first 3 games on 1 DVD edition). I prefer AA or one of more actual... Convoy than. Next new game for me actally is Convoy - not PttM. And i buy Convoy some time later after PttM.

Definitely ALH not needed - better switch to ETS\ATS for more content. For features not included in ALH\ETS\ATS... I dont know - try them all. Really.

So reviews is just by noslatgie. Someone who play games in release order prefer them in realse order (older=better). I think better some in middle - Convoy or Haulin. And Across America for one unique features - game mode differ than Sandbox (you can choose also A-to-B delivery missions or sandbox mode where AI opponents is almost passive).

As i expected now it cost even less than on that promo
http://www.gog.com/game/18_wheels_of_steel_collection_2
http://www.gog.com/game/18_wheels_of_steel_collection_1

(at least for Russia). Now i wait for -20\30% for bundles and buy it for cents. :|

the older ones are wonky! either don't work at all or crash or have grey screens and stall on loading every few times. the physics are awefull
the new ones are a bit more fun. Across America Long Haul is the best! not the original "Across USA" as again the physics are weird and it crashes. although it is playable if you can tollerate russian roulet- akin: a chance of crashing every 3rd time it launches. Convoy is not that bad. not the best, but I can play it without troubles. most have loading issues with Windows 10/11. 18 "Pedal" does not load at all. in fact demands CD!-until GOG fixes it!
if they have a set up screen that is preferable and NEVER tell it "not to show again". if they don't they suck! and unless you own an old Windows XP Pro PC you are shit out of luck!
I suggest ditching the trucker games and getting the Farming sims until they fix it.

Wait, so you just spread here... what? You here say directly you guess how GOG versions work.

< if they have a set up screen >
They all have that screen. Probably ET 1 or 2 somehow miss that by default an probably only for GOG Galaxy - link should have -setup argument. Im not sure right now. I didnt use GOG Galaxy.

Hello neosapian!

I do not know about your system on which you tried to run them, but here on my Windows 10 Computer the ones I played install and run relatively fine. Also this series should be considered as iteration of the same concept with only minor additions, removals or innovation of features--and only because it's newer, does not necessarily mean it is better in all aspects!

"Across America" (from 2003) is a little archaic and simplistic in a sense, but my main complaint would be the comparably small map. It does have some features though, which are absent in every later entry of the series (up to ETS 2)!

"Pedal to the Metal" (from 2004) is my favorite of the bunch I played so far! I prefer the atmosphere and style of it. From the menus, interface, real implemented road and city signs (no digital overlay), variety in traffic vehicle models (I guess the last one to see even motorcycles on the roads!) and the plannability of your cargo runs.
Unfortunately, I encountered some crashes on certain area transitions--see this thread for reference.
Saving frequently, and avoiding the corresponding cargo hauls in that target location prevented further crashing on my subsequent play sessions!

"Convoy" (from 2005) introduced a more console-like HUD interface and actual mirror reflections when using the interior cockpit camera perspective, and other vehicles and double trailers to drive for certain timed missions. However, I did not tested this one, yet. So no comment on that one.

"Haulin' " (from 2006) introduced new and bigger makes a lot of different things with regarding the menu and interface design and structure. In my opinion though, the result is a little too clean and business-like. Gone are a lot of minor details that made "Pedal to the Metal" feel more 'alive' or 'lived-in'. And I got the impression, that quite a couple of areas and locations seem to be expanded, but at the same time so much more empty...

"American Long Haul" (from 2007) is the last iteration before a major shift to a new game / graphics engine. It has some new environmental details but lacks a lot of what made "Across America" and "Pedal to the Metal" more 'unique'.
Furthermore, some players have difficulties adapting to the tuned brakes and retarder implementation. (Using the retarder / motor brake is now a must!)

From the "Extreme Trucker" duo I only tried the second one, including all the tracks / missions of the first one. The graphics got closer to the German Truck Driving Simulator and European Truck Driving Simulator series. However, my main issue is with the major 'selling' point of these... there does not seem to be any actual challenge or danger involved, especially after having experienced the so-called 'dangerous drives' from "Scania Truck Driving Simulator" (my favorite in the modern series!).
The landscapes are nice and have variety, but there is always too much open or free space for passing through with your truck or road train. Neither terrain nor traffic posed a challenge for me... and the maps are way more restrictive in size and locations you can visit. It is less free-roaming and more linear missions-based.


Regarding the technical problems:

Have you tried to install them via the offline installer files you can download?

And do not forget to install them outside the regular Program Files folders and initiate the installation with administrator rights. It is necessary for some scripts to be applied post installation!

Due to the modern display and monitor devices, many think each game needs to be played in super high resolutions and top fps rates. In my experience, older games run better (smooth) when played with their originally intended resolutions, apsect ratios and a lower fps limit.

Maybe you want to try some of those before bashing these re-releases here.

I forgot, what the option was called in the settings / configurations in the games' launcher, but beginning with "Pedal to the Metal" there was a rendering feature for those chrome metallic reflective surfaces (including the mirrors). I had to experiment a little bit to find out which worked best on my computer.

Kind regards,
foxgog

Yes, there is shader option for PttM to make mirrors (and some else surfaces) work as mirror. And for that you need lower settings (current videodrivers fault i guess, anything nowadays is very bad at back compatibilities or stability)

Shader option.