. This is the only legitimate "free" way to experience the full mechanics of the game without a purchase. Frequent Discounts
During Steam Seasonal Sales (Summer, Winter, etc.), the base game is often discounted by 75% to 85% , usually costing less than $5.
If a friend owns ETS2 on Steam, they can enable Family Library Sharing. You can play their copy of version 1.45 for free (but not simultaneously).