Getting Started with American Truck Simulator Modding

Workshop install, Mod Manager, Coast to Coast, and the parallel-with-ETS2 toolchain

American Truck Simulator modding is the parallel of Euro Truck Simulator 2 modding — same architecture, smaller catalog. If you've modded ETS2, this is identical workflow with different mod options. If you haven't, the ETS2 guide explains the toolchain in more detail.

This guide is the ATS-specific install on the current SCS release.

Open the ATS Workshop. Subscribe to mods.

Three popular first picks:

Real Companies, Gas Stations & Logos for ATS — replaces generic brands with real US/Canadian equivalents.
A truck mod for your preferred US manufacturer (Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner).
Realistic Truck Physics — adjusts handling toward more realistic semi-truck behaviour.

Step 2 — Configure in Mod Manager

Same Mod Manager as ETS2. Move subscribed mods from Available to Active, drag to order them.

Load order is the same conceptual rule:

Cosmetic mods first.
Truck mods next.
Trailer mods after trucks.
Map mods last (or per the map mod's specific instructions).

Step 3 — Map mods

The headline ATS map mods:

Coast to Coast — extends the playable area significantly. Big download, mature project.
Project Mexico — adds Mexico (which SCS doesn't cover officially).
CanaDream — extends Canadian provinces.

Each has specific load-order requirements relative to SCS's state DLCs.

Step 4 — Save handling

Same rules as ETS2: truck mods are usually save-safe; map mods change the world enough that swapping them mid-profile typically isn't viable.

For map mod experimentation, use a separate profile.

Step 5 — Multiplayer

ATS shares TruckersMP with ETS2 — the same launcher, the same mod restrictions. Most truck and map mods aren't supported in TruckersMP. Configure expectations accordingly.

Common gotchas

Same set as ETS2:

Mod doesn't appear. Workshop sync. Restart Steam.
Map mod + DLC conflict. Follow the map mod's documentation precisely.
Profile won't load. Mod removed that the profile referenced.
Performance dropped. Large map mods are heavy.
TruckersMP compatibility. Limited.

ATS's smaller mod catalog can feel frustrating after ETS2's larger one, but the quality of the popular map mods is high. Coast to Coast in particular is a major piece of community engineering worth experiencing.