The campaign uses a strategic overhead map of the United States. The convoy travels between locations, investigates cities and facilities, gathers resources, and tries to build enough strength to survive in a hostile landscape.

Encounters can lead to vehicle combat and other tactical decisions. Players manage vehicles, fuel, weapons, ammunition, personnel, and captured equipment. Progress depends on choosing routes carefully, recruiting useful survivors, and preserving the convoy through repeated engagements.

Conserve fuel and ammunition instead of treating every encounter as an opportunity for combat. Route planning is important because a damaged or stranded convoy has few safe recovery options.

Recruitment and equipment management should be judged by long-term usefulness. Keep the convoy supplied, avoid unnecessary risks, and use reconnaissance or information-gathering options before committing valuable vehicles to a battle.