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How to install American Truck Simulator mods step by step

Install ATS mods from Steam Workshop or manually in the mod folder, sort them in the Mod Manager and fix errors with game.log.txt after each update.

Updated: 24 Oct 2026

American Truck Simulator officially supports mods: SCS Software builds a mod manager into the game itself, along with Steam Workshop support. Even so, almost every problem (mods that don’t show up, maps that won’t load, crashes on startup) comes down to three things: the wrong folder, the load order and the game version. Here’s the full process.

Two ways to install: Steam Workshop or manually

Steam Workshop

If you own the game on Steam, this is the easiest option. Go to the American Truck Simulator Workshop, open the mod’s page and click Subscribe. Steam downloads it and keeps it updated. To remove it, unsubscribe. Heads up: not every mod is on the Workshop; many big maps and sound packs are only released on their author’s website or forum.

Manual install (.scs or .zip)

  1. Download the mod from its author’s official source (their website, the SCS Software forum or its Workshop page). On holymod we always link to those sources; we don’t host any files.
  2. If what you download is a .rar or .7z, extract it to get the .scs or .zip files inside. Those .scs and .zip files are the mod itself and you don’t unzip them: the game reads them as they are.
  3. Copy them into Documents\American Truck Simulator\mod. If the mod folder doesn’t exist, create it with that exact name (singular).
  4. Open the game, load your profile and go to the Mod Manager.

On Linux, the equivalent folder is ~/.local/share/American Truck Simulator/mod.

Enable mods with the Mod Manager

You get to the Mod Manager from the main menu. You’ll see every mod the game detects, both from the Workshop and from the mod folder. Enable the ones you want to use so they move to the active mods list, and confirm the changes. Your mod setup is tied to your profile, so if you switch profiles, check the list again.

Load order and priority

When two mods change the same files, the one higher up in the active list wins. A few practical rules:

  • Always follow the order each map or pack author gives; that’s the reference that counts.
  • Compatibility patches between two mods go above both of them.
  • Tweak mods (traffic, sound, graphics, physics) usually go above trucks and maps, and big maps go at the very bottom; even so, whatever each author says takes priority. We explain it with examples in the guide on ATS mod load order.
  • If you’re putting together a map combo, enable the maps one at a time and check that the game loads before adding the next one.

Map mods and required DLC

Map mods are the trickiest. Many of them connect to areas from paid official expansions and won’t load, or load with gaps, if you don’t have those DLCs. Before installing one like Reforma or Coast to Coast, check the author’s page to see which map DLCs it requires and which other maps it’s compatible with.

Since engine version 1.48, mods can include parts the game only loads if you own certain DLCs. That’s why the same mod can behave differently on two different PCs. If the author recommends starting a new profile when you install a map, do it: mixing a new map with an advanced save can leave your truck on a road that no longer exists.

If you’re looking for a place to start, check out our picks of the best ATS mods by category and the best ATS maps, with the DLCs and load order for each one.

Compatibility after a game update

Every mod declares in its manifest which game versions it’s compatible with. If you update ATS and the mod doesn’t list the new version, the Mod Manager flags it with a warning. Some simple mods (paint jobs, parts) keep working; maps and mods that change game definitions usually break until the author releases an update.

Before updating, back up the profiles folder inside Documents\American Truck Simulator. If you rely on a map that hasn’t been updated yet, SCS usually offers older game versions under the Betas tab in the game’s Properties on Steam; check the exact branch name there.

Multiplayer: Convoy

In Convoy, the official multiplayer mode, players need a mod setup that’s compatible with the host’s. Authors can mark a mod as optional for multiplayer; those mods don’t have to match. The rest, especially maps, must be installed and on the same version. If you can’t join a session, compare your active list with the host’s. TruckersMP is a third-party project with its own mod rules, separate from Convoy.

Common errors and game.log.txt

  • The mod doesn’t show up: it’s in a different folder, it’s still inside a .rar, or the .zip contains another folder instead of the mod files.
  • The game crashes when loading the profile: it’s usually an outdated map, a missing DLC or the wrong load order.
  • Missing textures or models: a file from the pack or a dependency listed by the author is missing.

To troubleshoot, open Documents\American Truck Simulator\game.log.txt after the crash and look for lines marked as errors: they almost always name the file or mod causing the problem. If you can’t spot the cause, disable half your mods, test and repeat until you isolate the culprit.

You’ll find more mods for the game in the American Truck Simulator section.

A mod won’t load or the game keeps crashing? Follow the guide with fixes for when mods aren’t working.