Yard Dog/Terminal Tractor/Port Tractor

[Reese]

Lately I've been playing a lot of Trucks & Trailers and Scania Truck Driving Simulator. They're both nice games, even if they are using an older version of the engine ATS/ETS2 is running on. The one thing I found to be missing for some levels is a Yard Dog. From what I gather, they're not too popular to have in Europe since the trucks are short anyway, but in the US they play a large role in moving trailers from yard to dock and dock to yard.

I've been learning to use the map editor in ATS and currently as a test project have been remaking my town in 1:1, since I'm most familiar with it. There are 4 types of industry near me. Steel, Sewage, Gas, and Printing. Of the companies around, the Steel and Printing companies each have at least 1 yard dog, some with several. But all of them take them on the road to transfer trailers from their different properties scattered around town. I regularly drive alongside or near them when I do my daily business.

It'd be fantastic to be able to drive them in my map, but unfortunately 4 years later, there's still a lack of them. The closest mod so far is a 4x2 short chassis day cab mod that I've found in the workshop. It's an alright mod, but not exactly what I'm looking for. Creating a mod truck myself is out of the question. Too much of a headache and all the information is scattered all over. Whether it being editing an existing truck or making one from scratch, I don't believe I have the technical ability to do so.

Is there any existing mod that I happened to have missed that's available for ATS/ETS2 that brings a Yard Dog into the game? If it exists, I'll take it. If it doesn't, then I'm still out of luck. But if it's something that one of you lovely mod makers have thought about making, now is the time.

Edit: At this point, I'm even okay with just throwing the in-game Yard Dog model(it's just an object, not drive-able) onto an existing shortened chassis truck. It can be the most jank mod with no interior. As long as it looks the part externally, it's fine.

[GetForkStabbed]

As far as a i know there are no yard truck mods as of late. If there were in the past they are buried and long outdated. Best course of action would be to make one. There are a few big issues with that. First, you can either make the model by hand or buy a 3d model online. One i found is this https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-kalmar-t2-terminal-tractor-model-1251660 . Doing both would take a considerable amount of time because you're building a truck to work ingame. You have to texture the entire thing, make it compatible with the game using blender and make animations. Its possible but will take a long time. With the amount of work no one would do it for free. I have the knowledge to do it, but the issue is i dont have the time to get it completed so it would take a good 6+ months on the minimum to get it done. Another issue is i dont really want to spend 150$ on a model that i might not get anything back from. Its a very niche product with little demand so i doubt anyone with more skill would take on this task. I would consider it for the experience but the issue with that is the "is it done yet" which i wouldnt want to be pressured.

[Reese]

That's understandable. That's why I was hopeful that I happened to miss one being released at any point in the last 4 years. Thanks for the reply.

[GetForkStabbed]

It would be a cool project. I used to drive one of these so I'm familiar with how they work and all. Just the issue is time. Might buy it someday and decide to make it.

[Reese]

When I was much younger I had the chance to be shown up close to the hydraulics and such around the fifth wheel. I've been in love with them since. They're a neat piece of equipment. Not a job one should take just after getting their CDL I hear.

[WanderingFido]

https://youtu.be/woZm4q4gfmE

[kitsunelegendXx]

They really are neat machines tbh. Would be cool to see one in game, but alas, I dont one exists.

My dad was a head yard jocky way back in the day, at a Roadway facility near Scranton PA. Its still there, but iirc its now owned by Schneider. I actually went to school for my CDL at the community collage right across the street from there as well! =P