To set up an ATS dedicated server you use American Truck Simulator Dedicated Server, a free SCS Software tool you download from Steam or with SteamCMD using app ID 2239530. Then you export server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat from your game, tweak server_config.sii and open ports 27015 and 27016 (TCP and UDP) so the session shows up in the Convoy browser. As of October 2026, the server supports up to 8 drivers, runs on Windows and Linux, stays up even when nobody is playing and doesn’t require the game or any DLC on the machine running it. This guide follows SCS’s official documentation and focuses on the server itself; for multiplayer basics, see our American Truck Simulator multiplayer guide.
Why run a dedicated server in ATS
In regular Convoy, the session lives on the host’s PC: if they log off for the night, it closes for everyone. With the dedicated server, which SCS added for ATS and ETS2 in December 2022, the session runs in a separate program with no interface that you can leave on for days. It’s what communities with their own maps use, like the MundoATS server for Mapkalo.
Where you run it is up to you: your own PC while you play, a spare old computer, a Linux VPS or a rented game server. SCS doesn’t list hardware requirements, and the download is around 1.2 GB.
ATS dedicated server at a glance
| Item | ATS value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | American Truck Simulator Dedicated Server, free | SCS blog (December 8, 2022) |
| Server app ID on Steam | 2239530 | SCS modding wiki |
| Game app ID (for the token) | 270880 | SteamDB and SCS wiki |
| Operating systems | 64-bit Windows and Linux; Steam also ships a macOS build | SCS wiki and SteamDB |
| Player slots | 8 max | SCS modding wiki |
| Windows executable | bin\win_x64\amtrucks_server.exe |
Hosting providers’ setup guides |
| Default data folder | Documents\American Truck Simulator or ~/.local/share/American Truck Simulator |
SCS wiki (Game User Path) |
| Physical ports | 27015 and 27016, TCP and UDP | SCS modding wiki |
| Mods per session | Up to 70 | SCS blog (update 1.42) |
1. Install the server
With the Steam client
If you own ATS, the tool is already in your library, just hidden. In the library filter dropdown, turn on Tools, find American Truck Simulator Dedicated Server and install it.
With SteamCMD (VPS, Linux or no game)
- Install SteamCMD, Valve’s command-line Steam client.
- Run
steamcmd +force_install_dir /path/ats-server +login anonymous +app_update 2239530 validate +quit. Anonymous login is enough. - Save that command: you’ll need to run it again after every patch, because SteamCMD doesn’t update the server by itself.
2. First launch: server_config.sii is created
Run amtrucks_server.exe (in bin\win_x64) or, on Linux, the server_launch.sh script. On this first run the server creates its data folder with a server_config.sii and a server.log.txt, and complains that it can’t find the server packages. Close it with Ctrl + C and move on.
Heads up: if the server runs on the same PC as the game, by default it shares the game’s folder (Documents\American Truck Simulator). If you’d rather keep them apart, launch it with -homedir "path" on Windows or set XDG_DATA_HOME on Linux. And if your game’s folder is redirected, the server has to be redirected too.
Settings you’ll change most
Edit the file in a plain text editor, change only the values and restart the server to apply them. Here’s an example for a West Coast group session:
| Setting | Example | What it does (default) |
|---|---|---|
lobby_name |
«Route 66 Crew» | Name shown in the browser, up to 63 characters |
description |
«Friday convoys out of Los Angeles» | Description, up to 63 characters (empty) |
welcome_message |
«Obey speed limits and use the CB» | Message on join, up to 127 characters (empty) |
password |
«kenworth» | Session password (empty = open) |
max_players |
6 | Player slots, capped at 8 (8) |
max_vehicles_total |
100 | Total vehicles (100) |
max_ai_vehicles_player |
30 | AI traffic per player; lower it if the server struggles (50) |
force_speed_limiter |
true | Mandatory speed limiter (false) |
player_damage |
false | Player-to-player damage (true) |
hide_in_company |
true | Hides other players in company areas (false) |
name_tags |
true | Names above trucks (true) |
There’s also traffic (AI traffic, on by default), service_no_collision (no collisions at service areas), in_menu_ghosting (no collisions while paused) and mods_optioning, which makes mods their authors flag as optional truly optional. friends_only and show_server are ignored on a dedicated server.
Granting moderator rights
Moderators are set before launch, not while the server is running. In moderator_list you enter how many there are, then each Steam ID on its own line: moderator_list: 1 and moderator_list[0]: followed by the 17-digit number from that person’s Steam profile. They’ll be promoted when they join. In chat they can use /set_time (for example, /set_time 06:30 for a desert sunrise), /set_rain_factor from 0 to 1 and /help.
3. Export the map, DLC and mods
The server doesn’t read mod folders or check your DLC. All of that goes into the two server packages files, which are generated from a copy of the game and aren’t tied to any account.
- With ATS closed, edit
config.cfginDocuments\American Truck Simulatorand set the console line touset g_console "1". - Launch the game and load a profile with the mods you want on the server active and properly ordered. If in doubt, check our ATS mod load order guide.
- With the map loaded, open the console with ~ and type
export_server_packages. - Look in
Documents\American Truck Simulatorforserver_packages.siiandserver_packages.dat. - Copy both together into the server’s data folder (where its
server_config.siilives). If it shares the game’s folder, they’re already there. - Start the server and note the search ID it shows on startup.
If your group changes mods or you buy a new state and want it on the server, export again and replace both files.
What everyone else needs to join
- State DLC: nobody needs them to join, but anyone without, say, Texas can’t drive in Texas. If the convoy is touring a specific state, the whole group should own it. The full list is in our American Truck Simulator DLC guide.
- Mods: all the ones the server requires, up to 70. The browser shows the list before you join, and a window compares your mods with the server’s; you can’t confirm until you have them all.
- Workshop and outside mods: Steam Workshop mods can be subscribed to from that window without leaving the game. Everything else is downloaded manually, in the same version as the server; the steps are in how to install ATS mods.
- Map mods like Mapkalo or Reforma: if they’re in the server packages, everyone has to have them installed.
4. Ports and connectivity
The server doesn’t do NAT punching. To appear in the Convoy browser it needs a public IP and these ports forwarded on your router to the server machine, on TCP and UDP:
connection_dedicated_port: 27015.query_dedicated_port: 27016. For LAN play it must stay between 27015 and 27020.
The virtual ports, connection_virtual_port (100) and query_virtual_port (101), run inside Steam in the 100–200 range and don’t get forwarded. If you run two servers on the same machine, give them different ports and tokens. And if your connection won’t let you open ports, direct search by search ID still works.
5. Token: a search ID that doesn’t change
Without a token, every restart generates a new search ID and you’d have to send it to your group each time. To lock it in:
- Using an account that owns ATS, go to
steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers. - Create the token with the game’s app ID, 270880. The server’s ID (2239530) won’t work.
- Put the token in
server_logon_token, in quotes, and restart.
Keep it private like a password and don’t post it in screenshots or forums.
6. Joining the server
- Each player updates ATS to the same version as the server.
- In the main menu, choose Convoy and open the session browser.
- Search by search ID or by the session’s exact name.
- Sync any required mods, confirm and enter the password if there is one.
Common problems
- Nobody can connect after a patch: update the server with SteamCMD, update your mods, re-export the server packages from the updated game and restart.
- It works by search ID but isn’t in the list: ports aren’t forwarded, you don’t have a public IP or your ISP uses CGNAT.
- It drops with «[MP] Steam disconnected» and «Session closure requested (reason – 33)»: the machine lost internet or went to sleep.
- On Linux, «SteamAPI_Init() failed»: use
server_launch.shor link SteamCMD’ssteamclient.sointo~/.steam/sdk64/. - A friend’s game crashes when joining with mods: ask for their
game.log.txtand run it through Holyfix, the free log analyzer, which points to the failing mod. More fixes in ATS mods not working. - The server closes for no obvious reason: check
server.log.txtandserver.crash.txtin its data folder.
More American Truck Simulator guides: multiplayer with Convoy and TruckersMP, how to install mods, Mapkalo and its MundoATS server and every state DLC.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ATS dedicated server free?
Yes, SCS gives it away for free. You only pay for the machine you run it on: your power bill if it’s your PC, or the fee for a VPS or rented server.
Can I use the ETS2 server for ATS?
No. They’re separate tools: ATS is 2239530 and ETS2 is 1948160. The server packages also have to come from ATS.
How many players does it support?
Up to 8, according to SCS’s documentation. You can set fewer in max_players.
Do my friends need the same state DLC?
Not to join, but without a DLC they can’t drive in that state. The server’s mods, on the other hand, are mandatory.
Why does the search ID change every time I restart?
Because without a token the server uses an anonymous account. Create a token with app ID 270880 and add it to server_logon_token.
How do I put a Mexico map like Mapkalo on my server?
Install it in your game, enable it in the load order its author recommends and export the server packages with export_server_packages. Every player will need it installed the same way.