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Freedom251 › Blog › American Truck Simulator

How to Join a Euro Truck Simulator 2 or ATS Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 11 min read

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To join multiplayer in Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) or American Truck Simulator (ATS), choose the route your group is using: the built-in SCS Convoy browser, an SCS dedicated server, or the separate TruckersMP platform. Native Convoy is the fastest for a friend-hosted session; a dedicated server stays online after its operator disconnects; TruckersMP uses its own account and multiplayer client.

Choose the right multiplayer route

ETS2 and ATS have three distinct ways to play together. They are not interchangeable server lists, so first identify which one your host or community uses.

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Route Where you join What it is best for What you need Persistence
SCS Convoy The game’s Convoys menu A quick private drive with friends The same game, compatible versions, and Steam friendship for easy discovery A player-hosted session ends when the host leaves
SCS dedicated server The in-game server browser, by name or search ID A persistent group, club, or community server A running dedicated-server instance and its search details; the operator handles configuration Remains available when no players are connected
TruckersMP TruckersMP’s account and multiplayer client A separate community network with its own rules and player population A TruckersMP account, a linked Steam account that owns ETS2 or ATS, and the TruckersMP client Controlled by the TruckersMP platform rather than an in-game Convoy host

Use the same game your friends are using: an ETS2 session does not appear in ATS, and an ATS session does not appear in ETS2. The game edition, installation version, password, and any required content must also match the host’s settings.

Join a normal SCS Convoy

Convoy is SCS Software’s built-in multiplayer mode. A player hosts a session from the normal game client, can make it private with an optional password, and can drive with others while the game synchronizes key world elements such as AI traffic, time, weather, and shared jobs.

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Before you start

  • Install and launch the correct title, ETS2 or ATS.
  • Use a compatible game version. If one player has an update waiting, the session may not be joinable or visible.
  • Make sure both players are online in Steam. Being friends on Steam makes a private session easier to find.
  • The Convoy menu may require enough progression to own a truck and a company. If the option is unavailable, continue the single-player profile until those requirements are met.
  • Ask the host for the exact session name, including capitalization, punctuation, spaces, and symbols, and for the password if one is set.

Steps to join

  1. Start ETS2 or ATS and load the profile you intend to use.
  2. From the main menu, open Convoys.
  3. Wait for the session list to finish refreshing. A list that is still loading can look empty even when a friend is hosting.
  4. Find the host’s session by its displayed name. If the list is long, search for the exact name supplied by the host.
  5. Select the session and choose Join Convoy.
  6. Enter the password when prompted, then wait for the game to load the convoy.

Once connected, the host’s session rules determine the available jobs and synchronized world settings. A player-hosted Convoy is not a permanent server: when its host closes the session or leaves, the session ends for everyone still connected.

What the historical player limit means

SCS’s original 2021 Convoy FAQ described sessions for up to eight players. That figure is historical, not a confirmed limit for every 2026 build. Do not use eight as a current capacity promise unless the current SCS documentation for your game version states it.

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When a friend’s Convoy does not appear

Missing sessions are usually caused by identity, version, search, or regional visibility rather than by the host’s truck or profile.

Check the basics first

  1. Confirm that both players launched the same title. ETS2 and ATS have separate Convoy lists.
  2. Check Steam’s friends list and make sure both accounts show as online, not offline or invisible.
  3. Compare the game versions shown by both installations and install any pending update.
  4. Ask the host to repeat the session name exactly. Search punctuation and symbols as well as ordinary words.
  5. Have the host stop and restart the Convoy, then wait for the browser to refresh on the joining player’s side.

Try the host’s Steam download region

SCS notes that sessions can be region-limited. If a friend is hosting from a distant region and the session remains hidden, change Steam’s download region temporarily to the host’s region, restart Steam if requested, and reopen the Convoys browser. This is a visibility test, not a permanent requirement; return to your normal region afterward if it gives you better download performance.

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Check the password and privacy setting

A private Convoy can be visible while still rejecting a join attempt because the password is wrong. Have the host confirm whether a password is enabled and provide it exactly, including capitalization. A session name appearing in search does not imply that it is open to everyone.

Do not confuse DLC limits with discovery problems

Different map-DLC ownership normally affects where a player can drive, not whether the Convoy exists in the list. Resolve visibility and version issues first; then check the map content if the session loads but a route enters an area you do not own.

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Join an SCS dedicated server

An SCS dedicated server is a persistent session that runs independently of an individual player’s game session. It can stay online with no drivers connected, allowing members to join and leave without ending the world. SCS provides dedicated-server tools for both ETS2 and ATS, and the tool can run outside the Steam client, including on rented infrastructure.

Information to request from the operator

  • The exact server name.
  • The server’s direct search ID, if the operator provides one.
  • The correct game, ETS2 or ATS.
  • A password, if the server is protected.
  • Any required map or mod package and the version the server is running.
  • Confirmation that the server process is currently running.

Join by server name

  1. Launch the matching game and open Convoys from the main menu.
  2. Wait for the browser to refresh.
  3. Search for the dedicated server’s exact name.
  4. Select the result and choose Join Convoy (the browser uses the Convoy join flow even though the session is dedicated).
  5. Enter the operator’s password, if required, and wait for the connection to complete.

Join directly with a search ID

When a name search fails, use the direct search ID supplied by the operator. SCS technical documentation says the ID is shown when the dedicated server starts or in its Convoy information. Entering that identifier in the game’s server search can find a server even when it is behind network address translation (NAT), where ordinary discovery may fail.

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  1. Open the Convoy server browser.
  2. Choose the field or control for direct server searching.
  3. Enter the complete search ID exactly as supplied.
  4. Open the returned server, verify its name and game, and select Join Convoy.
  5. Provide the password if the operator configured one.

What the operator must configure

Joining is simple only after the server has been configured correctly. The operator needs a valid server_config.sii, a generated server_packages.sii, and server_packages.dat. Together, these files describe the map, DLC or mod package, listening ports, password, and other session settings. A missing or stale package file can prevent discovery or cause a connection to fail even when the process appears to be running.

If you are only a driver, do not edit these files blindly. Ask the administrator to regenerate the package files from the server’s current content and to verify the configured ports and password. If you operate the server yourself, make a backup before changing the configuration and restart the server after edits so the new search information is generated.

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Join a TruckersMP server

TruckersMP is a separate community multiplayer platform, not an entry in the native SCS Convoy browser. It uses its own account system and multiplayer client. The onboarding process requires registering a TruckersMP account and linking a Steam account that owns ETS2 or ATS.

Account and ownership requirements

  1. Create a TruckersMP account through its official onboarding process.
  2. Connect the Steam account that owns the ETS2 or ATS license you intend to use.
  3. Install the TruckersMP launcher and client supplied by the platform.
  4. Launch the TruckersMP client, select the supported game installation, and sign in.
  5. Choose a TruckersMP server from the launcher or server list, then connect.

TruckersMP’s launcher checks and supported game-version list can change. For an October 2026 installation, follow the current TruckersMP onboarding instructions for the exact launcher version, supported branch, and any ownership or profile conditions shown at sign-in. A native Convoy password or search ID does not work on TruckersMP, and a TruckersMP account does not make a native Convoy session appear in the SCS browser.

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Understand the different rules

Because TruckersMP is a community platform, its server rules, moderation, queues, and available locations are separate from SCS’s built-in Convoy behavior. Read the rules for the particular TruckersMP server before driving there. If your friends are in a native Convoy, you must join that Convoy through the game; opening TruckersMP will not connect you to it.

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Do you need the same map DLC?

No. SCS states that players do not have to own the same map DLC to join a Convoy. However, ownership still controls the map areas each player can see and drive in. A driver without a particular map expansion cannot use that DLC’s territory simply because another member of the convoy owns it.

Plan routes around the group’s ownership

  • Ask every driver which map expansions they own before selecting a job.
  • Keep the route in shared base-game territory when the group has mixed DLC ownership.
  • If a planned route enters an expansion that one driver lacks, choose a different job or route for that driver.
  • Do not treat successful joining as proof that all map content is available; joining permission and map access are separate.

The same principle applies when a dedicated server advertises a map or DLC package in its configuration. You may be able to find the server, but the content you can use remains limited by your own game ownership and installed files.

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Version, mod, and network checks

Keep the game builds compatible

Native Convoy and dedicated servers require compatible game versions. Update both installations before troubleshooting ports or profiles. If one player opted into a beta branch or has not installed a major update, leave that branch or bring both copies to the same supported build.

Separate map content from mods

Map DLC is an ownership question; mods are a package and compatibility question. A dedicated-server operator’s package files define the content offered by that server. Ask which package is required and whether the server expects a specific mod version. Do not assume that a mod installed for single-player is automatically enabled or synchronized in multiplayer.

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Use direct identifiers before changing network settings

For a dedicated server, the search ID is the most precise discovery method and can work through NAT. Use it before attempting ad-hoc port changes. If it still fails, the operator should verify that the process is running, the configured ports are reachable, and the package files match the current server content.

A complete troubleshooting checklist

Work through these checks in order so that a simple mismatch is not mistaken for a hosting failure.

  1. Identify the route. Ask whether the host is using native Convoy, an SCS dedicated server, or TruckersMP. Open the matching client and menu.
  2. Confirm the game. Verify that everyone is in ETS2 or everyone is in ATS.
  3. Confirm Steam status. Both native-Convoy players should appear online, and they should be Steam friends when the host expects friend-based discovery.
  4. Align versions. Install updates and leave incompatible beta branches. Restart the game after updating.
  5. Search exactly. Enter the full session or server name, preserving punctuation, spaces, and symbols.
  6. Test regional visibility. For a distant friend-hosted Convoy, temporarily use the host’s Steam download region and refresh the list.
  7. Ask for the search ID. For a dedicated server, use the direct ID shown at startup or in Convoy information rather than relying on name discovery.
  8. Verify the server is live. The operator should confirm the dedicated-server process is running and that the search ID has not changed after a restart.
  9. Check credentials. Re-enter the Convoy or dedicated-server password exactly. For TruckersMP, confirm that the signed-in Steam account is the one linked to the TruckersMP account and owns the game.
  10. Check content. Confirm the required DLC, map package, or mod package is installed and compatible. Lack of a map DLC can restrict driving areas even when joining succeeds.
  11. Inspect server configuration. An operator should validate server_config.sii, regenerate server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat, and verify ports and package settings.
  12. Retry from a clean restart. Close the game or launcher, restart it, wait for the browser to refresh, and search again.

Match the symptom to the likely cause

Symptom Most likely checks
The friend’s Convoy is absent Correct game, Steam online status, exact name, compatible versions, and the host’s Steam download region
The server name appears but joining is rejected Password, game version, required content, and whether the server is full or has changed settings
A dedicated server cannot be found by name Request the search ID, confirm the process is running, and have the operator verify ports and configuration files
You can join but cannot take a planned route Check ownership of the map DLC or the server’s required package
TruckersMP will not authenticate Use the current TruckersMP launcher, sign into the correct account, and verify the linked Steam account owns ETS2 or ATS

Which route should you use?

Choose native Convoy when speed matters

Use the built-in Convoy browser when a friend is hosting a short or private session and everyone already owns the same game. There is no separate account or client, and the host can optionally protect the session with a password. The trade-off is that the world is tied to the host and disappears when that host leaves.

Choose a dedicated server for an always-available group

Use an SCS dedicated server when members play at different times or you need a stable community destination. Its persistence lets drivers join and leave independently, but the operator must maintain the server process, configuration, package files, ports, and passwords.

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Choose TruckersMP for its separate community network

Use TruckersMP when your group wants that platform’s community servers, moderation, and rules rather than an SCS-hosted Convoy. Budget time for account registration, Steam linking, launcher installation, and keeping the TruckersMP client compatible with the current game version.

Quick decision checklist

  • Friend sent a session name and password: open the game’s Convoys menu and join the native Convoy.
  • Community sent a search ID: use the SCS dedicated-server browser and search directly by that ID.
  • Community sent TruckersMP login instructions: register, link Steam, install the TruckersMP client, and join through its server list.
  • Someone lacks a map expansion: joining may still work, but plan only routes through territory that driver owns.
  • Nothing appears: verify the game, Steam status, versions, exact spelling, region visibility, and (for dedicated servers) the search ID before changing anything else.

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American Truck SimulatorATS multiplayerDedicated ServersETS2 multiplayerEuro Truck Simulator 2SCS ConvoyTruckersMP

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