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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11To remove AI vehicles from an Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS) multiplayer server, stop the server, change its traffic setting to disabled (or change the traffic boolean from true to false), save the configuration, and start the server again. The exact control depends on your host: a panel may show a Traffic dropdown or slider, while file-based hosting usually exposes server_config.sii.
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What disabling traffic actually changes
This setting concerns the computer-controlled vehicles generated by the game around players. It does not remove human convoy members, alter road layouts, or change traffic in your single-player profile. The change applies to the individual multiplayer server whose configuration you edit; if you operate several ETS2 or ATS servers, each one needs its own setting changed.
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Traffic controls are exposed differently by hosting companies and server-management projects. A panel can present a friendly label such as Traffic, but the underlying file may use a boolean named traffic or a numeric variable named g_traffic. Because those names are not consistent across published hosting instructions, inspect the live configuration rather than assuming one key works everywhere.
Before you change the setting
- Have server access. You need permission to stop the instance and edit its settings in the host panel, configuration editor, file manager, or container environment.
- Stop the server first. Editing while the process is running can be overwritten when the server saves its current state. Every hosting procedure in the available guidance starts with a clean stop.
- Back up the configuration. Download or copy
server_config.siibefore changing a line. A backup gives you a quick way to restore the previous behavior if the file will not load. - Plan a short test. Make the change on a test instance first when the server is busy or carries a large player community. This is especially important when editing raw text rather than using a validated panel control.
Disable traffic in a hosting control panel
Panel controls are the least error-prone option because the provider writes the configuration for you. Stop the server before opening the setting, then save and start it again after the change. The labels below are provider-specific and can move when a host redesigns its dashboard.
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Shockbyte
- Stop the ETS2 or ATS server from the Shockbyte control panel.
- Open Files > Config Files > Truck Simulator Server Settings.
- Find the Traffic dropdown and select Disabled.
- Save the configuration and start the server.
The dropdown is a provider interface; you do not need to edit a boolean manually when this control is available.
G-Portal
- Stop the server.
- Open Basic Settings.
- Locate the Traffic slider and deactivate it.
- Save, then start the server again.
G-Portal describes this as a slider rather than a Disabled/Enabled dropdown. Confirm that the control shows an inactive state before saving.
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- Stop the server in the Host Havoc panel.
- Open the
server_config.siiConfig Editor. - Use the editor’s traffic control, set it to off, and save.
- Start the server and test with a client connection.
A config editor is safer than changing unrelated lines in a text file because it can preserve the expected structure. If the editor does not expose a traffic field, use its file view and follow the raw-file procedure below.
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Disable traffic by editing server_config.sii
Use this route when your host gives you a file manager, an in-browser configuration editor, or shell/container access. The file normally contains the server’s session and gameplay settings. The exact location and editor name vary by provider and by whether the server is installed directly or in a container.
Safe file-edit procedure
- Stop the server. Wait until the panel reports that the process has stopped.
- Open the live configuration. Find
server_config.siithrough the host’s config editor or file manager. Do not edit a downloaded copy and forget to upload it again. - Search for both terms. Look for
trafficand separately forg_traffic. Different guides and server packages use different names. - Record the original line. Copy the complete setting into your backup before changing it. This matters if the file contains more than one traffic-related entry.
- Change only the traffic value. For a boolean entry, change
truetofalse. Preserve the key name, colon, spacing style, and any surrounding syntax. - Save the file. Ensure the panel confirms the write completed; an unsaved browser tab does not change the server.
- Start the server. The new value is read during startup. Reconnect only after the panel shows the instance is online.
- Test before announcing the change. Join with one or two players and drive through an area where AI vehicles normally appear. If vehicles remain, stop the server and inspect which traffic key the live file actually contains.
Boolean form: traffic: true to traffic: false
Xgamingserver, Cybrancee, and BisectHosting describe a boolean traffic entry. In that format, the disabling edit is conceptually:
traffic: true
changed to:
traffic: false
Cybrancee’s instructions place this setting in the local share folder for an ETS2 server. Other providers may use a different directory or expose the same file through a web editor. Do not add a second traffic line if one already exists; duplicate keys can create an ambiguous configuration.
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Numeric form: g_traffic
FREAKHOSTING identifies g_traffic as the variable controlling AI-traffic volume and states that g_traffic: 0 disables all AI traffic. That is host guidance rather than an official SCS specification, and the publication year of that guidance is not stated. If your live file contains this key, make a backup, test the zero value on a non-production server, and confirm the result after restarting.
g_traffic: 0
The same guidance says values above 3.0 can significantly increase CPU synchronization load. Treat that threshold as an operational warning from the host, not as a guaranteed limit for every game version, server build, or hardware configuration.
Why the setting name is not uniform
There is no single, consistently documented traffic key across all hosting instructions. Some guides refer to a boolean traffic field; another describes the numeric g_traffic variable. The official SCS Modding Wiki description of server_config.sii covers items such as the session description, connection port, logon token, and moderator list, but the available excerpt does not show a traffic parameter. Consequently, do not claim that one spelling is correct for every current ETS2 or ATS dedicated-server build.
Use the setting your panel writes or the key that is actually present in the running server’s configuration. If both names appear, change only the one documented by your host, then test. If neither appears, the panel may be storing the option elsewhere or generating it from a template; ask the host for the current configuration path instead of inserting an unverified line.
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Traffic-related limits that are not the same as an off switch
Some hosts expose limits for how many AI vehicles can be created near each player. MintServers names max_ai_vehicles_player and max_ai_vehicles_player_spawn as controls over that generated traffic. Lowering those limits can reduce density, but the available guidance does not establish that they override a traffic-off setting or that setting them to zero is equivalent to disabling traffic. Use the dedicated Traffic control or the documented boolean/numeric key when your goal is no AI traffic.
| Setting or control | What the guidance says | Use for a traffic-free server? |
|---|---|---|
| Panel Traffic dropdown | Select Disabled where offered, such as Shockbyte. | Yes, when the panel confirms the change. |
| Panel Traffic slider | Deactivate the slider, as described for G-Portal. | Yes, after saving and restarting. |
traffic: false |
Boolean form described by Xgamingserver, Cybrancee, and BisectHosting. | Yes, if that is the key in your live file. |
g_traffic: 0 |
FREAKHOSTING claims zero disables AI traffic; this is not officially confirmed in the available SCS material. | Test first; do not assume it applies to every build. |
max_ai_vehicles_player |
Per-player AI vehicle limit identified by MintServers. | Not established as a complete off switch. |
max_ai_vehicles_player_spawn |
Controls how much AI traffic is spawned around each player, according to MintServers. | Not established as a complete off switch. |
Docker and environment-variable deployments
If your server runs from a Docker-based convoy project rather than a traditional host panel, the project may expose ETS_SERVER_TRAFFIC as an environment variable. A GitHub convoy-server project lists that variable as the switch for enabling or disabling traffic.
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- Stop and remove or pause the running container according to your deployment process.
- Open the environment configuration used to create the container.
- Set
ETS_SERVER_TRAFFICto the disabled value expected by that project’s documentation. - Recreate or restart the container so it receives the new environment value.
- Check the generated server configuration and test in game.
Do not assume the Docker variable can be pasted into server_config.sii; it belongs to the container’s configuration layer. Conversely, changing the file inside a running container may be lost when the container is recreated.
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- Confirm the server restarted after the save. A saved panel form without a restart may not affect the active process.
- Join with a clean client session. Reconnect after the server is online so the session receives the new server state.
- Drive a normal route for several minutes. Check locations where AI vehicles previously spawned rather than judging from the first few seconds after joining.
- Test with more than one player if possible. Per-player spawning limits can make a single-player test look different from a populated session.
- Reopen the live configuration. Verify that the intended value remains saved after startup. If it reverted, the panel or container may be regenerating the file from another source.
Player-controlled trucks are not evidence that the setting failed. The traffic switch targets AI vehicles; human participants remain part of the convoy.
Troubleshooting when vehicles still appear
The panel has no Traffic control
Use the host’s file editor and search for both traffic and g_traffic. If neither term exists, the provider may hide the option in a generated template or use a different configuration path. Avoid guessing a key; request the host’s current ETS2/ATS server-setting location.
You changed traffic: false, but nothing changed
Check that you edited the active server, not a backup or a different game instance. Confirm the server was stopped before saving and restarted afterward. Then inspect whether the file contains a separate g_traffic entry or whether the panel rewrote the boolean during startup.
The server fails to start after a raw edit
Stop the instance, restore the backup, and start it to confirm the original file works. Reapply one change at a time, preserving the original syntax and avoiding duplicate keys. If the file editor validates settings, use it instead of a generic text editor.
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AI density is lower but not zero
You may have changed a per-player limit rather than the master traffic control, or the host may be using the alternate key. Recheck the live file for both naming patterns. If your only available option is g_traffic, test the host-described zero value and document the result for your specific server build.
Quick Recap
Panel toggle or file edit: which should you choose?
| Criterion | Panel control | Raw-file edit |
|---|---|---|
| Ease | Fast: choose Disabled or deactivate a slider. | Requires locating the correct file and line. |
| Where documented | Examples include Shockbyte, G-Portal, and Host Havoc interfaces. | Examples include Xgamingserver, Cybrancee, and BisectHosting instructions. |
| Key stability | Labels are provider-specific and can change with the dashboard. | Key names differ between guides and deployments; inspect the live file. |
| Risk | Lower, because the panel generally writes valid syntax. | Higher: a wrong line or malformed file can prevent startup; keep a backup. |
| Best use | Routine changes when the host exposes a validated Traffic setting. | Self-managed, container, or hosts that provide only file access. |
Operational checklist
- Identify whether the server is ETS2 or ATS and select that instance.
- Stop it before editing.
- Back up
server_config.siior the deployment environment file. - Use the panel’s Traffic control when available.
- Otherwise search the live configuration for both
trafficandg_traffic. - Change only the documented value: usually
falsefor a boolean, or test0forg_trafficwhere that key exists. - Save, restart, and verify with a real multiplayer session.
- Repeat the procedure independently for every server instance that should have no AI traffic.
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