How to Add Mods to a Euro Truck Simulator 2 Convoy Server

Q: Do I upload mod files to an ETS2 server?

No. You upload only serverpackages.sii and serverpackages.dat. The mods stay on each driver's PC.

To add mods to a Euro Truck Simulator 2 Convoy server, enable them in your own profile's Mod Manager, load into the game, open the console and run export_server_packages. Upload the two files it writes to your ETS2 documents folder, server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat, into the server's home folder next to server_config.sii, replacing the old ones, and restart. You never upload the mod files themselves. Every driver needs the same mods, DLC and game version to join.

What you are working with

File	What it holds	Where it goes
`server_packages.sii`	The map, DLC and mod list the session runs	Server home folder
`server_packages.dat`	Internal map data for that setup	Server home folder
`server_config.sii`	Lobby name, password, traffic, moderators, `mods_optioning`	Server home folder (already there)
`.scs` and Workshop mods	The actual mods	Only on each driver's PC, never on the server

SCS describes the packages as files that "carry dlc and mod configuration based on your current game setup" in its dedicated server documentation. The dedicated server does not run the Steam client and cannot read the Workshop, so mods stay on the players' side. The server only checks that drivers match the list.

What you can and cannot run

Content	Works on a Convoy server?
Truck, trailer, paint and sound mods	Yes, if every driver has them
Map mods such as ProMods	Yes, with the map DLC they require, on every driver's PC
Map DLC (Iberia, Scandinavia and so on)	Yes. Drivers without it cannot join a session that uses it
Mods marked optional by their author	Optional for drivers only with `mods_optioning: true` in `server_config.sii`
TruckersMP	No. It is a separate multiplayer mod with its own servers
Mods built for another game version	Usually not. Match the version the crew runs

Where the files are

What	Windows	Linux
Your game home (exports land here)	`Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2\`	`~/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2/`
Your game config (console switch)	`Documents\Euro Truck Simulator 2\config.cfg`	`~/.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2/config.cfg`
Server home on GamezServers	`.local/share/Euro Truck Simulator 2/` in the file manager	Same

A convoy of trucks driving together on a modded Euro Truck Simulator 2 map

Before you start

Agree on a mod list. Pick the mods and map DLC the whole crew can install. The packages lock the server to them.
Match the game version. Everyone, server included, should be on the same ETS2 version. Our server updates itself on restart.
Back up the old packages. Keep a copy of the current server_packages.sii and .dat in case the new setup breaks.

Step 1: Turn on the console

Close the game and open config.cfg in your ETS2 documents folder. Change these lines to 1:

uset g_developer "1"
uset g_console "1"

Save it. The console opens with the ~ key in game.

Step 2: Enable the mods in your profile

Start ETS2, pick the profile you will export from and open Mod Manager. Activate exactly the mods the server should run, in the order you want, and confirm. For a map mod like ProMods, follow its own load order instructions and make sure you own the DLC it needs.

Step 3: Load into the game and export

This is the step people miss: the export only works with a map loaded. Load your save so you are in the world, not in the main menu. Then press ~ and run:

export_server_packages

Both files appear in your ETS2 documents folder. If the folder still shows yesterday's files, you exported from the menu or a different profile.

Step 4: Upload to the server

Stop the server.
Upload server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat into the server's home folder, next to server_config.sii, replacing the old ones.
Start the server and wait for the console to show it is running.

Step 5: Give drivers the list

Post the exact mod list, with links and versions, in your group chat. When a driver joins, the game checks their DLC and mods against the server's packages. Missing or different mods mean they cannot get in.

The gotcha: every mod update means a new export

The packages record the mods exactly as they were when you exported. When an author updates a mod, or when ETS2 gets a patch, the crew's games move on and the server's packages do not. Drivers then get refused for content that looks identical to them. The fix is always the same: update the mods on your PC, load into the game, run export_server_packages again and upload the new pair. Make it a habit after every game update.

Optional mods

Some mods are marked optional by their author, for example cosmetic ones. By default the server still treats them as required. To let drivers join without them, set this in server_config.sii with the server stopped:

mods_optioning: true

Common problems

Server will not start after the upload: one of the two files is missing or from a different export. Upload both from the same export.
Nobody can join, "incompatible" or missing content: drivers do not have every mod or DLC in the packages, or they have a different version. Compare mod lists.
Worked last week, broken today: a game patch or mod update. Re-export the packages after everyone updates.
ProMods drivers spawn into errors: someone is missing a required map DLC or has the ProMods files in the wrong load order.
Export command does nothing: the console is off, or you ran it from the main menu. Load a save first.

Mods on GamezServers

On a Euro Truck Simulator 2 server from GamezServers, the two package files go into the home folder through the file manager or the SFTP login in Settings, and the file manager can also unpack zips or download a file from a link straight to the server. Click Backup before replacing the packages so you can roll back, and the convoy stays up without anyone hosting from a PC. For server_config.sii and ports, see how to host an ETS2 Convoy server.

FAQ

Do I upload mod files to an ETS2 server?

No. You upload only server_packages.sii and server_packages.dat. The mods stay on each driver's PC.

Do all players need the same mods?

Yes. Drivers need every required mod and DLC in the packages, in a matching version. Optional mods can be skipped if mods_optioning is on.

Can I use ProMods on a Convoy server?

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

Why does export_server_packages not create any files?

It only works with a map loaded and the console enabled. Load a save, press ~ and run it again.