Firearms are back in Dying Light: The Beast, but bullets are deliberately scarce. If you want to keep a pistol, SMG, or rifle ready for emergencies, you’ll need to build a repeatable ammo route — and that starts with military convoys.

Why convoys matter

Convoys are abandoned, armored trucks scattered across Castor Woods. They’re the single most reliable way to stock bullets, and they often throw in medical supplies, valuables, and the occasional weapon. You’ll see them marked on your map with a truck icon once you discover them — a single-truck icon for small sites and a multi-truck icon for larger ones.

There are nine convoy sites in total. Four are “big” (three trucks to open), five are “small” (one truck). Most sit on major roads, bridges, tunnels, and overpasses, with a few tucked into the wilderness around Old Town. Expect resistance: every convoy is guarded by infected in varying tiers, and some encounters layer armored “military” biters into the mix.

Finding convoys fast

  • Scan highways, bridges, and tunnel mouths while driving between quests. You’ll naturally pass several sites on main routes.
  • Watch your HUD for an exclamation point, then glass the area with binoculars to reveal points of interest, including convoys.
  • Use elevation: ridgelines and overpasses give you a clean read on blocked roads and stalled trucks below.
  • Early-game anchor: the Mountain Path Convoy sits along the road east of Old Town, next to a safe zone.
Tip: Bows and crossbows are ideal for clearing “spewers” perched on truck roofs before you move in. Gunfire can pull sprinting virals into the fight, which makes cracking trucks markedly riskier.

How to open a convoy (without getting swarmed)

Each truck has two kinds of locked storage, and they open in different ways:

  • Back hatch: Requires a Convoy Access Card dropped by an infected in military gear near the trucks. Each of these biters holds one card; on large convoys, you’ll need multiple cards to open every vehicle.
  • Side lockers: Small compartments mounted above the wheels. These use the standard lockpicking minigame and frequently contain ammo.

Best practice during the approach:

  • Isolate and eliminate the military-clad biters first, then loot them immediately. Corpses despawn, and losing a card is the easiest way to waste a run.
  • Clear the area before you start any unlock animation at the rear hatch; it takes a few seconds and leaves you exposed.
  • Bring a stack of lockpicks. You’ll burn through a few on multi-truck sites with multiple side lockers.
Note: Convoys refresh after some in-game time. Both enemies and loot restock, so it’s worth building a loop you can sweep after major missions to top off.

What you can find inside

Convoy loot tables vary, but over multiple runs, you can expect:

  • Pistol, revolver, SMG, rifle, marksman, and shotgun ammo
  • Military medkits and high-value consumables (e.g., Morphine)
  • Weapons appropriate to your level, from police batons to sabers and firearms
  • Valuables like MRE rations for quick cash

Some sites carry unique one-off rewards, and large convoys naturally offer more rolls at ammo and gear due to the extra trucks and side lockers.

Nine convoy sites to add to your loop

The exact marker names and regions help you build an efficient circuit. Use these as anchors when planning your route:

  • Ruined Highway Convoy — Northwest Industrial Zone (small)
  • Industrial Bridge Convoy — Southwest Industrial Zone (big)
  • Power Plant Convoy — Recreation Island (small)
  • City Bridge Convoy — North Old Town (big; notable reward available)
  • Town Hall Convoy — Center Old Town (small)
  • Island Tunnel Convoy — Mental Asylum (big)
  • Mountain Path Convoy — East National Park (big; near a safe zone)
  • Farmlands Convoy — Southwest Farmlands (small)
  • Mountain Tunnel Convoy — Northeast Villa Area (big)

If a military biter isn’t present when you arrive, do a nearby activity or two and circle back — spawns can be inconsistent minute to minute, but they tend to settle if you return.

Combat rhythm that keeps you alive (and quiet)

  • Favor melee for the initial clear. Blocks and dodges are safer than gunshots around convoy clusters.
  • Pick targets: thin basic biters first, then isolate armored foes. Staggering attacks open windows to finish them without drawing more noise-sensitive infected.
  • Use terrain. Trucks themselves create chokepoints; fight on top or on the far side to break line-of-sight from roamers.
  • Loot in phases. Clear, loot a card, open one hatch, reset aggro, then hit the next truck.

Ammo beyond convoys

Convoys are your mainline supply, but there are a few supplemental options worth knowing:

  • Vendors: Traders begin selling ammo as you progress. Prices are steep, especially early, so treat this as a top-up when you’re flush with cash.
  • Ammo caches: Rare world spawns near stacks of green military crates. Good to grab when you see them, not worth farming.
  • Crafting (select types): You can craft certain ammo like arrows and flamethrower fuel if you keep feathers, fuel, and other materials on hand. The game’s beginner’s guide highlights crafting and lockpicking as core loops, which dovetail nicely with convoy runs.

Make a sustainable restock route

An efficient loop blends safety, speed, and yield:

  • Anchor on a safe zone: start near Mountain Path (east of Old Town) or another site with quick rest access.
  • Chain big-to-small: hit one large convoy (three trucks, multiple lockers), then a nearby small convoy while your medkits and stamina are still plentiful.
  • Park and sweep: stop short, spot with binoculars, clear with bows, then move in. Avoid pulling virals with gunshots unless you’re finishing the run and can extract.
  • Reset smart: after two to three sites, fast travel or complete a short activity, then loop back as spawns refresh.

Common pitfalls to avoid

  • Letting military biters despawn before looting the card. Always loot immediately after a kill.
  • Starting the rear-door animation while adds are active. Clear first or you risk a staggered cancel.
  • Burning picks on “Very Hard” side lockers with mobs nearby. Kite enemies away, then pick locks in peace.
  • Overusing guns at the site. Save ammo for emergencies; virals will punish loud clears.

The loop is simple: find a truck, secure the card, crack the hatch, pick the lockers, move on. With nine convoys on the map and predictable respawns, a 15–20 minute circuit can refill most firearms while padding your medkit and valuables stash — enough to keep a sidearm loaded for when things go sideways, which is precisely when it matters.