How to Host a Euro Truck Simulator 2 Convoy Server (2026)

To host a Euro Truck Simulator 2 Convoy server, install the free dedicated server (SteamCMD app 1948160), run it once to create server_config.sii, then export server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat from your own game with the export_server_packages console command and place them next to the config. The server holds 8 drivers, uses ports 27015 and 27016, and everyone joining needs the same DLC and mods as the packages.

What is an ETS2 Convoy dedicated server?

Convoy is SCS Software's own multiplayer mode for Euro Truck Simulator 2. Up to 8 players share one world, take jobs side by side and talk on the CB. Normally one player hosts the session from their game, and it ends when they quit. A dedicated server runs the same session without anyone's game open, so the crew can drive whenever they like.

It is not TruckersMP. TruckersMP is a separate community mod with its own public servers and rules. A Convoy server is a private lobby for your own group, using the game's built in multiplayer.

The server does not render anything. It syncs players and AI traffic, so it is light:

Setup	RAM	Notes
Base map, up to 8 drivers	2 GB	Most friend groups
Map DLC plus a big map mod like ProMods	4 GB	Larger packages to load
Unsupported oversized convoys	6 GB	Only if every player edits their own limit

According to the SCS dedicated server documentation, the server does not need a copy of the game, and DLC and mods are not installed on it. It only needs the server package files.

How do I install the ETS2 dedicated server?

Install SteamCMD, or find Euro Truck Simulator 2 Dedicated Server under Tools in your Steam library.
With SteamCMD, download it anonymously:

login anonymous
force_install_dir C:\ets2server
app_update 1948160 validate
quit

Start the server once. On Windows run the executable in bin\win_x64. On Linux use the server_launch.sh script next to the server binary in bin/linux_x64.
Close it. It has now created server_config.sii in its home folder: Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Windows, or ~/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Linux.

Use -homedir "path" on Windows (or XDG_DATA_HOME on Linux) to keep the server's files in their own folder, which is cleaner if you also play on the same PC.

How do I export server packages for DLC and mods?

The server will not start a session without server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat. They describe the map, DLC and mods the session runs, and you make them in your own game:

Open Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2\config.cfg and set uset g_console "1". Save it.
Launch ETS2 and load a profile with exactly the map DLC and mods you want the server to run. Activate mods in the Mod Manager in the right order.
Press ~ to open the console and run:

export_server_packages

The two files appear in your ETS2 documents folder. Copy both to the server's home folder, next to server_config.sii.
Restart the server.

Export from a setup the whole crew can match. If one driver lacks a map DLC in the packages, they cannot join. After a game update, export fresh packages if the server complains about them.

A line of trucks driving in convoy on a European motorway in Euro Truck Simulator 2

What goes in server_config.sii?

This is the file that sets your lobby. The keys that matter most:

lobby_name: "Friday Night Haulers"
description: "Chill convoy, CB on"
welcome_message: "Welcome, keep it at 90"
password: "crew-only"
max_players: 8
max_vehicles_total: 100
max_ai_vehicles_player: 50
connection_dedicated_port: 27015
query_dedicated_port: 27016
server_logon_token: YOURTOKENHERE
player_damage: true
traffic: true
hide_colliding: true
force_speed_limiter: false
name_tags: true
friends_only: false
show_server: true
moderator_list: 1
moderator_list[0]: 76561198000000000

Key	What it does	Good value
`password`	Join password, empty for none	Set one for a private crew
`max_players`	Session size	8, the supported limit
`traffic`	AI traffic on the roads	`true` for realism
`player_damage`	Whether collisions damage trucks	`false` for chaotic groups
`hide_colliding`	Ghosts players stuck inside each other	`true`
`force_speed_limiter`	Forces the speed limiter on everyone	`true` for strict convoys
`show_server`	Listed in the session browser	`false` to join by search ID only
`moderator_list`	Count, then one SteamID64 per line	Your own ID at least

Moderators can kick and ban from inside the session. Edit the file with the server stopped, then start it again.

Do I need a Steam server token?

You do not need one to run, but you want one. Without server_logon_token, the server gets a new search ID every time it starts, so your friends have to look it up again. With a token, the ID stays the same. Create it at steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers using the game's app ID 227300, not the server's app ID, and paste it into server_logon_token.

What ports does an ETS2 Convoy server use?

Port	Protocol	Purpose
27015	TCP and UDP	Connection (`connection_dedicated_port`)
27016	TCP and UDP	Query (`query_dedicated_port`)

The virtual ports (connection_virtual_port 100 and query_virtual_port 101) are Steam networking ports in the 100 to 200 range, not router ports. SCS notes that players can find the server by search ID even behind NAT, but forwarding the two dedicated ports is the reliable setup. See our port forwarding guide.

How do drivers join the convoy?

Launch ETS2 with the same DLC and mods active as the server packages.
Choose Convoy from the main menu, then Join.
Search by the lobby name, or by the search ID printed in the server console at startup.
Enter the password and pick your truck.

Can't join? Nine times out of ten it is a DLC or mod mismatch, or a game version mismatch right after a patch. Update the server first, then re-export packages if needed.

FAQ

How many players can join an ETS2 Convoy server?

8 players per session is the supported limit. Raising it means every player edits g_max_convoy_size in their own game config, which SCS does not support.

Do I need to own ETS2 to run the dedicated server?

No. The dedicated server is a free tool and does not need the game. Every driver who joins needs their own copy plus any DLC in the server packages.

Can I use ProMods on a Convoy server?

Yes, if every driver has ProMods and the map DLC it needs. Activate it in your profile, export the server packages and upload them.

Can American Truck Simulator players join an ETS2 server?

No. They are separate games with separate servers. ATS has its own dedicated server, covered in our ATS convoy server guide.

Why does my server keep changing its search ID?

It has no Steam logon token. Add one made for app ID 227300 to server_logon_token and the ID stays fixed across restarts.

The easy option: host it with us

A home server works if your PC stays on and you do not mind forwarding ports. If you would rather not, our Euro Truck Simulator 2 hosting starts at 4.99 USD a month for 2 GB, with 4 GB for map DLC and ProMods. We create the Steam token at setup, so the search ID stays the same, and you edit server_config.sii and upload your server packages in the file manager or over SFTP. New customers get 50% off the first month, the crew can split the bill, and you can cancel anytime.