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The galaxy is full of successful traders who started their career with a Hauler. The ship's comparatively low cost and significant carrying capacity have made it the most popular small cargo ship in human space. The Hauler is highly specialised, however, and consumers are advised that it is unsuited to activities other than trade.

— In-Game Description

The Hauler is a ship manufactured by Zorgon Peterson. Built with a classic shuttle-style design, its relatively large cargo hold and low price make it an excellent light freighter for traders just starting their careers and seeking to upgrade from the Sidewinder MkI. It is slow for its size, however, as well as poorly armed and armored, characteristics which place it at a severe disadvantage in combat situations and significantly reduce its effectiveness in other roles. Furthermore, despite having more cargo capacity than the Sidewinder, the Hauler still tops out at 26t, making it better suited for trading rare commodities rather than general goods due to the former's higher profit potential in small quantities. For most pilots, purchasing a Hauler is a short-term investment on the path to obtaining other, more versatile vessels.

Overview[]

The Hauler, as its name suggests, was designed to haul cargo for a cheap price and is the trader's equivalent to the Eagle MkII with a capacity of 26T. While this is much better than the Sidewinder MkI and Eagle, it is still a very low amount and makes it difficult to earn anything more than a small profit from trading runs with regular commodities.

Surprisingly, the Hauler is a standout exploration ship for pilots with very low budgets. With potential jump ranges reaching around 40 ly with engineering, it can easily become an explorer's best friend until they can trade up for something better. Attempting long-term expeditions with the Hauler make its shortcomings all too apparent, however: low compartment space means the largest Fuel Scoop it can equip is only Class 3, and combined with its small Fuel Tank, pilots can expect frequent long waits while refueling and may be unable to explore areas where fuel stars are few and far between. Furthermore, because the ship is so light, adding even a single ton will drastically reduce its jump range; engineering all internals to be low weight is a must.

The Hauler can be a decent mining ship, as it can carry more materials than a Sidewinder or Eagle; but it will mine very slowly due to the single hardpoint. It is generally advised to wait until the Adder becomes an option before mining is attempted, as the Hauler will be forced to make constant runs back to stations and is a very easy target for pirates.

In combat, the Hauler is arguably the least viable option among all ships and Ship Launched Fighters on the market. With only a single hardpoint, two utility mounts, terrible shielding, and low armor, the Hauler is incapable of defending against even a stock Sidewinder. Combined with its low Mass Lock, dodging Interdictions becomes a matter of life and death. Despite this, Pirates will occasionally fly the Hauler, but these are generally easy pickings for even beginner pilots.

Convergence hauler

Hauler hardpoint convergence

The pilots seat is situated at the front of the ship with a standard view. A single Class 1 hardpoint is located at the bottom of the nose while 2 utility slots are situated atop the rear of the ship.

The Hauler's most notable drawback is that it is only slightly less expensive than the Adder, which can carry more cargo than the Hauler while also being capable of defending itself and maintaining more varied capability. While the Adder has less jump-range, it can fit a larger Fuel Scoop and Fuel Tank, and any added mass has less impact on its jump range. It is generally more profitable and viable for traders to simply take a few extra jobs in their Sidewinder MkI and buy an Adder instead, but explorers should pick up the Hauler as soon as possible, and combat pilots should steer clear of both and pick up the Eagle MkII or Viper MkIII.

Purchase Locations[]

System Station Date Seen Discount
Shinrarta Dezhra Jameson Memorial Always available 10% discount
Brestla i Sola Prospect Always available 20% surcharge
Akkadia Calvin Lawrence Dec. 8, 2019 15% discount
G 35-15 Cugnot Terminal Dec. 8, 2019 15% discount
Lalande 4268 Lowry Ring Dec. 8, 2019 15% discount
Dinda Mount Sunday Dec. 8, 2019 15% discount
Barnard's Star Miller Depot Dec. 8, 2019
Duamta Davis Terminal Dec. 8, 2019
Liabeze Lyulka Beacon Dec. 8, 2019
Cemiess Mackenzie Relay Dec. 8, 2019
78 Ursae Majoris Seddon Gateway Dec. 8, 2019
LHS 2637 Perez Ring Dec. 8, 2019

Outfitting[]

Main article: Outfitting

All ships are highly customisable through the Outfitting menu of Station Services. Listed below is the default load-out for the Hauler.

Category Default System Default Rating Default Class Max Class
Small Hardpoint Pulse Laser (L) F 1 1
Utility Mount Empty -- -- 0
Empty -- -- 0
Bulkheads Lightweight Alloys I 1 8
Reactor Bay Power Plant E 2 2
Thrusters Mounting Thrusters E 2 2
Frame Shift Drive Housing Frame Shift Drive E 2 2
Environment Control Life Support E 1 1
Power Coupling Power Distributor E 1 1
Sensor Suite Sensors E 1 1
Fuel Store Fuel Tank [x4] C 2 2
Internal Compartments Cargo Rack [x4] E 2 3
Cargo Rack [x4] E 2 3
Shield Generator E 2 2
Empty -- -- 1
Advanced Docking Computer E 1 1
Supercruise Assist E 1 1
(PAS) I 1 1

Trivia[]

  • On the bottom of the hull, there is an unused hardpoint slot on the other side of the front landing gear.

Videos[]

Gallery[]

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