Why does the server need files from my game?

SCS's server loads the map, the DLCs and the mods of the game that exports server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat. Run export_server_packages in the game console and upload both files to the home folder in Files; until then the server refuses to start.

Do my friends need the same DLCs?

Yes. Every driver needs the map DLCs and mods recorded in the packages you uploaded. If someone lacks one, export the packages again from a game with only what everyone owns.

How do my friends find the server?

In Convoy, then Join Convoy, they search for the server name. Without a Steam token the server ID changes at every start, so the name is the reliable way.

Do I need a Steam token?

No, it is optional. A Game Server Login Token made at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers with the app ID 270880 keeps the same server ID between restarts; paste it in the server settings.

Free ATS server, in 60 seconds.

Drive with seven friends on your own American Truck Simulator convoy server. No card, and the server name ready for your convoy to find.

New versions on release day
No card
Low-ping regions

American Truck SimulatorBeta

Nodes ready · start the first one

~24 ms

ATS is in beta: you can create your server already, but we are still tuning its image and it may change without notice.

Guide · ATS

Host a American Truck Simulator server

American Truck Simulator puts you behind the wheel across North America, and convoy mode lets up to eight drivers share the map, take jobs side by side and queue at the same tolls. SCS Software publishes a native Linux dedicated server, so on our nodes it runs without any compatibility layer, needs very little memory and Steam updates it on every start.

A convoy server keeps no world of its own: the map, the DLCs and the mods come from two server package files you export from your copy of the game, and each driver keeps their own profile, trucks and money. Our backups copy the folder with those packages and the server settings, not the 1.5 GB game.

From an empty panel to the first convoy

In the panel, choose American Truck Simulator and any plan: it starts at 1 GB, so the Free plan works too.
In your game, enable the console with uset g_console "1" in config.cfg, press ~ and run export_server_packages.
Open the Files tab, go to the home folder and upload server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat from Documents/American Truck Simulator.
Set the slots, up to eight, a password if the convoy is private, and the traffic and damage switches.
Start the server. When the console says Session running, the convoy is open.

Getting your drivers on the road

Each driver opens Convoy, then Join Convoy, and searches for the server name you chose; with a password, the game asks for it before loading. Drivers need the same DLCs as the game that exported the packages, so someone without the Texas map cannot join a convoy exported with it. Without a Steam token the server gets a new ID at every start, so search by name rather than saving the ID.

What you can tune from the panel

Damage from other players, AI traffic, a forced speed limiter, name tags and hiding players in company areas are switches written into server_config.sii at every start, next to the slots, the password, a welcome message and a description. A Game Server Login Token made on Steam with the app ID 270880 keeps the same server ID between restarts. Every change applies after one restart.

How much RAM American Truck Simulator needs

Idle on the base map the server held about 200 MB in our measurements, because the trucks, the jobs and the scenery live on the drivers' PCs. The floor is 1 GB and we suggest 2 GB for a full convoy of eight with traffic on. The 3 GB of disk fits the 1.5 GB server and its packages.

Running the convoy as the owner

The dedicated server has no remote console, so the panel console shows its log instead of taking commands, and drivers see your welcome message in the convoy chat when they join. The session rules change from the panel with a restart. After a game update or a DLC change, export the packages again and upload them over the old ones.

When the convoy does not roll

If the server stops right after starting and the panel reports missing server packages, the two files are not in the home folder yet, or one of them is empty. A server drivers cannot find is usually still starting: wait for Session running and refresh the list. A driver who cannot join probably lacks a DLC or a mod the exporting game had; export again from a copy with only what everyone owns.

Versions

ATS versions

latestDefault

Switch versions from the panel: we back the server up first and tell you what will be left behind.

Loaders

ATS loaders and templates

VanillaVersion latestThe game exactly as the studio ships it.

Pick the template when you create the server: we install it, configure it and hand it over running.

Data

ATS server data

Minimum RAM	1 GB
Recommended RAM	2 GB
Disk	3 GB
Port	Assigned to each server; the panel shows it
Free plan	Yes
24/7 from	Casual · €3.00/month
Crossplay	No switch in the panel
Mods	No one-click catalogue
Templates	Vanilla

Requirements

How much RAM does your ATS server need?

ATS boots on 1 GB and has room to spare on 2 GB. This is the RAM each plan gives you and whether the game fits in it.

A ATS server runs the map and DLCs of your own game: export server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat with export_server_packages in the game console and upload them to the home folder in Files. Until both files are there the server refuses to start, and players need the same DLCs as your game.

Up to 4 friends, no plugins2 GBFREE
Up to 6 players, 24/7, no one-click plugins2 GBCASUAL
Up to 8 players with plugins4 GBSTARTER
Up to 8 players or mid-size modpacks8 GBPRO
Up to 8 players and several worlds at once16 GBSTUDIO
Heavy modpacks and large communities32 GBULTRA

FAQ · ATS

Questions about ATS servers

Yes, with no card. The convoy server starts on 1 GB of RAM, and the panel shows what the Free plan includes before you create anything; a paid plan keeps it online around the clock.