How to Install ATS Mods
A quick, beginner-friendly guide to installing American Truck Simulator mods — trucks, maps, trailers, skins and more. Four steps and you're rolling.
Install in 4 steps
Download the mod
Open the mod page and grab the archive from one of the mirror links. Files come as .zip / .rar, or sometimes a ready .scs file.
Extract the archive
Unpack the .zip / .rar with 7-Zip or WinRAR and find the .scs file(s) inside. If the download is already a .scs, skip straight to the next step.
Move the .scs to your mod folder
Copy the .scs file into your American Truck Simulator mod folder:
Documents\American Truck Simulator\mod\Enable it in the Mod Manager
Launch ATS → open Mod Manager on the main menu → activate the mod (move it to the right) → set the load order if needed → Confirm and start your game. 🚛
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is my mod folder?
The mod folder lives in your Documents, not in the game's install directory. Pick your system:
- Windows:
Documents\American Truck Simulator\mod\ - Steam users: still the Documents path above — not the Steam install folder.
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/American Truck Simulator/mod/ - Linux / Steam Proton:
~/.local/share/American Truck Simulator/mod/
If the mod folder isn't there, create one with exactly that name.
It's a .zip or .rar — what do I actually extract?
Only the .scs file goes into the mod folder — never the .zip/.rar itself.
- Open the archive and copy out the .scs file(s).
- Some packs contain several .scs files — put all of them in
mod\. - A few mods ship as a plain .scs with no archive — just move it directly.
The mod doesn't appear in the Mod Manager
- Make sure the .scs sits directly in
mod\, not inside a sub-folder. - Check the mod version matches your game version (e.g.
1.59.x). - Re-download if the file may be corrupted, then replace it.
- Fully restart the game so the Mod Manager rescans the folder.
Load order & mod conflicts
In the Mod Manager, mods higher in the list have priority and override the ones below.
- Put map mods and large combined packs near the top.
- Keep trucks / cars above AI traffic packs.
- If two mods clash (missing roads, errors), change their order or disable one.
Manual download vs Steam Workshop
Workshop mods install automatically through Steam. Mods downloaded here are manual: drop the .scs in mod\ and enable it in the Mod Manager. Both types live side by side in the same list.
The game crashes after enabling a mod
- #1 cause: the mod is built for a different game version — match it to yours.
- Disable other mods to find the conflict, then re-enable one by one.
- Check the mod's required DLC — some maps need specific DLC installed.
- Verify your game files (Steam → Properties → Installed Files) if issues persist.