Star Citizen guide #15: freight hauling

Open the tool in Beacon OPS

Hauling means delivering other people’s goods for a fee. You don’t need to buy the cargo: you get paid to deliver it. A steady career, ideal for cargo ships.

How it works

1. Take a hauling contract in the mobiGlas (Covalex, Red Wind Linehaul, Ling Family Hauling…). Check the amount in SCU and the destinations.
2. Go to the pickup point, land in your hangar and get the crates at the freight elevator: from its terminal, you bring the cargo up.
3. Load the crates into your hold with the tractor beam (multitool), placing them on the cargo grid.
4. Deliver at the destination: send the crates down through the local freight elevator. The contract completes once everything is delivered.

Choosing your ship

• To start: a Cutlass Black (46 SCU) or a C1 Spirit (64 SCU) do the job very well.
• Later: Freelancer, Hull A and B (the Hull B is now sold in several shops), Caterpillar, C2…
• The bigger the ship, the better the contracts pay… and the more pirates you attract.

The risks

• In Stanton, routes between the big cities are relatively safe. In Pyro, expect to be intercepted.
• Pirates can pull you out of quantum travel (interdiction). Have a plan: shields, escape, or an escort.
• Insurance doesn’t cover cargo: if your ship blows up, the goods are lost and the contract fails.

Maximizing profit

• Pick contracts whose destinations are close to each other.
• Fill your hold by combining several compatible contracts.
• Build reputation with one hauling company: they’ll offer bigger, better-paid contracts.

💡 Beacon tip: learn to stack your hold neatly: well-placed crates mean faster loading and no crates sliding around in flight.

Read next: Trading: buy low, sell high · Piracy and counter-piracy · Reputation and progression

Written for Star Citizen Alpha 4.10.2 (October 2026). The game changes with every patch: if something has moved, tell us in a reply and we’ll update the guide.