Meet Rest Anywhere — rest, CMR and cargo securing

Meet Rest Anywhere — a plugin that originally started with one simple idea: allowing you to take your required rest anywhere on the map.

Since then, it has grown into something much bigger.

The video attached to this post was recorded using a test build, but it already shows several of the mechanics currently implemented:

• accepting a job together with a CMR consignment note
• checking and securing the cargo before starting your journey
• taking a 45-minute break or a full 9-hour rest somewhere on the roadside

Rest and driver working time

The rest system is still the foundation of the entire plugin.

It allows you to complete your required break in virtually any location on the map, rather than being limited to the designated rest areas provided by the game.

At the same time, the plugin keeps track of the driver's working and driving time and introduces a proper 45-minute break mechanic, alongside the longer rest periods.

At the moment, weekly driving and working-time limits are not implemented. I'm still considering whether adding them would actually improve the experience or simply make the system unnecessarily restrictive.

Delivery windows

Another mechanic currently being developed is delivery opening hours.

Right now, all companies use a temporary delivery window between 05:00 and 22:00.

If you arrive with your cargo outside those hours, the plugin will inform you that the receiver is closed and that you need to wait until it opens.

For now, however, this is essentially a voluntary restriction — it works if you choose to respect it.

I'm still investigating whether I can reliably block the unloading trigger itself when the company is closed. The next step would also be to give individual companies different opening and delivery hours instead of using the same schedule everywhere.

CMR and cargo securing

The CMR and cargo-securing systems were created to make picking up a job more interesting.

Normally in ETS2, the process is basically:

take the cargo, take the trailer and drive.

With Rest Anywhere, accepting a job can involve a little more interaction.

You receive a CMR consignment note containing your company name and details of the transport, and before leaving you can inspect the cargo and make sure it has been properly secured.

And securing the cargo isn't just a one-time interaction.

The restraints can gradually loosen during the journey.

The plugin continuously measures the lateral forces acting on the trailer and compares them against the strength of the cargo restraints, using values based on European cargo-securing standards.

If the forces become high enough, the securing condition can deteriorate and the plugin will warn you.

Poorly secured cargo can also have an actual effect on the trailer's stability coefficient — so ignoring it may eventually have consequences while driving.

Release

Rest Anywhere is now getting close to completion, and I'm planning to release the first public version here on Patreon later this September.

It will be available as part of the monthly membership.

I don't plan to permanently lock the plugin itself to an active subscription, because I want you to be able to use the version you've received whenever and wherever you want.

Of course, I'll be extremely grateful if you decide to stick around. :)

That's also why I want the membership to be about much more than just one plugin.

My plan is to publish all of my ETS2 work here, including:

• further development of Realistic AI Traffic, including country-specific addons
• skin packs
• used truck and trailer market mods featuring realistically worn vehicles
• future gameplay mods and experiments
• continued development of Rest Anywhere

What's next?

I already have another system in development: roadside inspections.

The inspection system will analyse tachograph data and look for irregularities related to things such as driving time, working time and speed.

If violations are detected, the inspection will be able to issue an actual fine affecting your in-game balance.

I also want to significantly expand the vehicle walkaround system.

Instead of simply triggering a generic inspection, I want it to become an actual walkaround procedure where the player has to check different components depending on the type of trailer being used.

There's still plenty I want to experiment with.

But Rest Anywhere is getting close.

September.

Gelex

ETS2 Rest Anywhere - Rest, CMR and cargo securing (YouTube)