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Freight Trading w/ a Freighter, Even Worth It?
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Thouncy
Perkone
Caldari State
#1 - 2015-03-23 00:29:26 UTC
I wanted to look into trading via freighters in highsec, so I had a few questions.

1.) Is there any reason why this will be a complete waste of my time?

2.) Do I generally want to focus on trade hubs or smaller markets (in general)?

3.) Should I be focusing on very high-volume items or simply items that are low volume but high price when freightng? (Like, modules vs. BS hulls)

4.) Do Gankers make this an impossible venture?

5.) If 4 is a no, what are some tips to avoid the gankening besides just tanking my freighter? (Presumably a Fenrir)

6.) Do you have any general tips?
Tamra Dresden
Doomheim
#2 - 2015-03-23 02:06:08 UTC
1. Have your freighter pilot attack an alt in HS.
2. Have the alt offer the killright on the market for 1 bil.
3. Double wrap 1 scrap metal and let your freighter pilot take a ridiculously long route on autopilot.
4. Watch Netflix.
5. Profit?

It's a really old idea but I'd like to believe that out there somewhere it will still work.
Iroquoiss Pliskin
9B30FF Labs
#3 - 2015-03-23 02:15:42 UTC
Tamra Dresden wrote:
1. Have your freighter pilot attack an alt in HS.
2. Have the alt offer the killright on the market for 1 bil.
3. Double wrap 1 scrap metal and let your freighter pilot take a ridiculously long route on autopilot.
4. Watch Netflix.
5. Profit?

It's a really old idea but I'd like to believe that out there somewhere it will still work.


Would 1b cover the potential loss of the freighter, however? Pirate How much do these things insure for?

I'd ask for more on the killright. Blink

// [PvP Damage Done by Class (Scylla)] //

[Cruisers Online]
Sabriz Adoudel
Move along there is nothing here
#4 - 2015-03-23 03:17:47 UTC
Less than 1b is more successful in general. Remember that platinum insurance gives you 70% of the 'base price' of the freighter back (100% insurance payout, -30% for the cost of buying platinum) which is less than 70% of market price but isn't far off it.

You need someone to have enough liquid ISK to pay for the killright, and in my experience people that carry ten figure wallet balances are usually more careful than people with high nine figure balances. There's a very good reason the most successful hub scammers mostly target 500-800m amounts.


As for the OP's questions. I do a good amount of regional arbitrage trading in highsec, particularly between Jita and Dodixie. I don't haul anything. Hauling is peasant work, and peasants exist to do it for you. Train Contracting 3 (if you only use contracts for hauling) or to 5 (if, like me, you also sell blueprints on contracts).

If someone with my alliance affiliation can find useful idiots to do my hauling, I'm sure you can.

I support the New Order and CODE. alliance. www.minerbumping.com
Patri Andari
Thukker Tribe Antiquities Importer
#5 - 2015-03-24 00:22:49 UTC
Sabriz Adoudel wrote:
Less than 1b is more successful in general. Remember that platinum insurance gives you 70% of the 'base price' of the freighter back (100% insurance payout, -30% for the cost of buying platinum) which is less than 70% of market price but isn't far off it.

You need someone to have enough liquid ISK to pay for the killright, and in my experience people that carry ten figure wallet balances are usually more careful than people with high nine figure balances. There's a very good reason the most successful hub scammers mostly target 500-800m amounts.


As for the OP's questions. I do a good amount of regional arbitrage trading in highsec, particularly between Jita and Dodixie. I don't haul anything. Hauling is peasant work, and peasants exist to do it for you. Train Contracting 3 (if you only use contracts for hauling) or to 5 (if, like me, you also sell blueprints on contracts).

If someone with my alliance affiliation can find useful idiots to do my hauling, I'm sure you can.


If by arbitrage you actually mean moving a few (less than a freighter full haul) you are correct. Then again that is peanuts.

Be careful what you think, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful what you say, for your words become your actions. Be careful what you do, for your actions become your character. And character is everything. - author unknown
Ekaterina 'Ghetto' Thurn
Department 10
#6 - 2015-03-24 10:40:19 UTC
Thouncy wrote:
I wanted to look into trading via freighters in highsec, so I had a few questions.

1.) Is there any reason why this will be a complete waste of my time?

2.) Do I generally want to focus on trade hubs or smaller markets (in general)?

3.) Should I be focusing on very high-volume items or simply items that are low volume but high price when freightng? (Like, modules vs. BS hulls)

4.) Do Gankers make this an impossible venture?

5.) If 4 is a no, what are some tips to avoid the gankening besides just tanking my freighter? (Presumably a Fenrir)

6.) Do you have any general tips?


You will need another account to scout ahead and/or web your freighter to get the job done more safely. Even then nothing is guaranteed but scouting/webbing will give you a good advantage over other haulers.

Use fittings to improve alignment time or increase EHP instead of increasing cargo hold.

Don't overfill your cargo hold with expensive cargo - consider not going over the one billion ISK cargo limit.

Don't fly your freighter 'AFK' or on autopilot.

" They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out. " Rick. " Find out what ? " Abraham. " They're screwing with the wrong people. " Rick. Season four.   ' The Walking Dead. ' .
Tau Cabalander
Retirement Retreat
Working Stiffs
#7 - 2015-03-24 17:35:47 UTC
I did some hauling & trading this past Sunday, using a single max skill Charon. I earned just over 198 million ISK.

As I don't go inter-regional, nor through the common gank systems, I had no problems hauling. I did try to keep my cargo under 1.5 billion, though my last trip was ~2.5 billion because I had had enough hauling for the session.