CARGO & TRADE / VISUAL FIELD GUIDE

Your first hauling contract

Move someone else’s freight through pickup, loading and delivery.

Getting startedSolo; a loader helps7 min read

STEP 1 OF 7

Check the freight before accepting

Open mobiGlas, default F1, then Contracts. Read the pickup, every destination, quantity and container sizes. Pick a short route with a load you can physically fit.

The official cargo guide names “Opportunity for Independent Cargo Hauler” as the Covalex introduction. Availability depends on your location and eligibility. A contract payout is different from buying cargo to speculate on its resale price.

1
Accept one manageable delivery
Separate controls: F1
Open Contracts, choose Hauling and inspect an available introductory job. Compare its total SCU and largest box with your ship. Accept the offer, then read it again under Accepted.
What you should see
The accepted contract shows the cargo, pickup and destination for this particular job.
That did not happen
A route in somebody else's tutorial may be generated differently. Use your accepted destination, not their station name.
RSI Missions and Contracts, updated 22 Jun 2025

What do these words mean?

SCU: A measure of freight volume. Enough total SCU does not prove a large individual container fits through your ship door.
Contract cargo: Freight assigned for a delivery. You are paid to move it; you do not need to buy a substitute commodity load.

Cargo shipTractor tool suitable for box massFuel and service budget

Read the complete guide as text

The same published instructions in one readable view. Use the steps above for controls and practice panels.

Check the freight before accepting

Open mobiGlas, default F1, then Contracts. Read the pickup, every destination, quantity and container sizes. Pick a short route with a load you can physically fit.

Accept one manageable delivery

Separate controls: F1

Open Contracts, choose Hauling and inspect an available introductory job. Compare its total SCU and largest box with your ship. Accept the offer, then read it again under Accepted.

Expected result: The accepted contract shows the cargo, pickup and destination for this particular job.

If it did not work: A route in somebody else's tutorial may be generated differently. Use your accepted destination, not their station name.

SCU: A measure of freight volume. Enough total SCU does not prove a large individual container fits through your ship door.
Contract cargo: Freight assigned for a delivery. You are paid to move it; you do not need to buy a substitute commodity load.

Turn the contract into a loading plan

SC Nomads practice example: a fictional 8 SCU job might be eight small 1 SCU boxes or two larger 4 SCU boxes. Both total 8 SCU, but they need different handling space. Read your actual manifest; these numbers are a teaching example, not a promised mission.

Record each destination separately

Separate controls: F1

For each stop note the commodity, quantity and largest container. Add the quantities and compare the total with your empty, usable ship grid.

Expected result: You have a pickup and drop-off plan for the whole offer rather than only its payout.

If it did not work: If you cannot find box-size information, choose a simpler introductory load or ask the crew to verify it before accepting a large job.

Load later deliveries deeper inside

For a multi-stop run, reserve accessible positions for the first delivery. Keep the second destination identifiable and avoid covering exits or the route to the cockpit.

Expected result: You can remove the first stop without unpacking the whole ship.

If it did not work: If the grid cannot accommodate that order, simplify the job. A saved flight minute can be lost to repeated unloading.

Raise the correct cargo and secure it

At pickup, select the contract freight in the location’s freight interface, raise the elevator and move the boxes to your ship. Keep different jobs separated so you can identify each delivery.

SC Nomads loading suggestion: fill the least accessible positions first, leave a walking route and count the boxes before taking off. A large empty bay is unhelpful if the contract’s largest container cannot enter its door.

Bring the assigned freight up

Separate controls: F

At the pickup freight-elevator terminal, find the mission freight in local storage. Select the required containers and request them on the platform. Wait for the elevator to finish before stepping onto it.

Expected result: The platform holds the named shipment for your accepted job.

If it did not work: Check pickup location and cargo identity if the list is empty. Buying the same commodity does not necessarily satisfy a mission shipment.

Place the first box as a fit test

Separate controls: Mouse wheel; Hold R + Mouse

Use the tractor tool on one container. Adjust its distance with the wheel; hold R while moving the mouse to turn it. Move it through the opening slowly and align it with the ship cargo grid.

Expected result: The first box sits in a usable grid position and leaves room to handle the rest.

If it did not work: If movement fails, inspect the tractor's range or mass warning. If the opening is too small, change ship or contract rather than forcing the box through.

Check the load before takeoff

Count the loaded containers against the contract, leave a walking route to the exit and close the cargo opening. Keep different contracts in identifiable groups.

Expected result: The entire required shipment is aboard and you can still reach the pilot seat.

If it did not work: If boxes are missing, inspect the freight platform before departing. An empty warehouse list alone is not a physical load check.

Practise tractor distance and rotation on one box

Move one box at a time while learning. Stand where you can see its corners, the door frame and where it will land. Stop walking when checking the tool so you do not walk off the platform while looking at a container.

Take a supported box and bring it clear

Controls in order: Left mouse then Mouse wheel

Aim a suitable tractor tool at the test box and engage it with the primary action. Move it clear of the floor. Use small wheel movements to adjust how far it is held.

Expected result: The whole container moves without scraping through a doorway or another box.

If it did not work: If the tool shows a mass or distance limit, use equipment capable of this load. A Multi-Tool and a MaxLift are not interchangeable for every container.

Rotate before entering a tight opening

Separate controls: Hold R + Mouse

In clear space, hold R and move the mouse to align the box with the opening. Release the modifier before changing distance again.

Expected result: The face you want leads through the doorway and the corners remain visible.

If it did not work: If the container swings across another person or the hull, stop and move back into clear space. Rotate outside the doorway instead of wedging it in the frame.

Confirm placement before releasing the next box

Place the container in a supported grid position, release the tractor, and inspect whether it stayed where intended. Walk the access route once before repeating.

Expected result: The box remains aboard and both the output area and your walking route are usable.

If it did not work: Loose or moving freight is not secured merely because it is inside the hull. Reposition the test box before loading over it.

Complete each destination’s handoff

Follow the contract to the specified delivery point. Unload into the destination’s accepted freight location and check the mission’s progress after the transfer.

Do not leave merely because boxes are on an elevator. Confirm the contract recognizes the delivered amount and its final completion state. With a friend, share the contract and confirm their acceptance before the work begins.

Hand freight into the correct destination

Separate controls: F

At the destination, place the required boxes fully on its freight platform. Use the terminal to send them down, follow any handover prompt, then reopen the accepted contract.

Expected result: Its delivered quantity updates and the job shows completion when all requirements are met.

If it did not work: If the number does not change, verify destination, mission-box identity and whether a remaining submission step is shown. Do not substitute the disappearance animation for proof.

Check the reward before taking another job

Separate controls: F1

Read the contract outcome and your balance after handoff. Note any remaining boxes before accepting another haul.

Expected result: The completion or failure is explicit and you know whether any freight still belongs to an unfinished job.

If it did not work: For a stalled objective, save the contract name, patch and what the terminal showed for an Issue Council report.

Correct job cargo
Every stop checked
Delivery credited
Completion and payout checked

Use the contract counter as the delivery receipt

The useful completion signal is the accepted job recording the delivery. A box on the platform, a moving elevator and a closed ship ramp are only intermediate observations.

All required stops credited
Remaining freight identified
Final contract state checked
Actual payout checked

The pickup elevator has no mission freight.: Match the pickup location to the accepted job, then inspect the mission freight source and elevator selection. A similarly named commodity you buy yourself may not satisfy the shipment.

The correct boxes reached the destination, but the counter did not change.: Check that all boxes are fully on the platform, send them to the destination storage, then follow the actual submission prompt. Reopen the contract and inspect its remaining objective.

Only some cargo was credited.: Count what remains aboard and compare the destinations and box identities. Multi-stop freight can look identical while belonging to different handoffs.

My friend helped but cannot see the job.: Share the supported contract and confirm acceptance before progressing. Crew presence alone is not confirmation that mission participation is registered.

Before you commit

Loading, lift travel and unloading belong in your time estimate. Start with one job until you know the terminals and the ship.

Automatic services exist only at appropriate locations and can cost time and credits. Check the actual service offered instead of assuming a remote pickup will load the ship for you.

Version history

Sources & guide information

Sources checked 14 October 2026. Latest-known defaults; gameplay review on your build is welcome.. Reference information, not a claim of current-patch playtesting.

CIG Cargo Guide, source checked 13 Oct 2026 RSI Missions and Contracts, updated 22 Jun 2025 CIG defaultProfile.xml, extracted by Subliminal: 4.9 LIVE defaults compared with 4.10 PTU, checked 13 Oct 2026 CIG defaultProfile.xml extracted by Subliminal: 4.9 LIVE with 4.10 PTU comparison, checked 14 October 2026