What eventually happens to all that paid freight?

[GamerDude]

Yes we know this. That is why the original question. Which isn't answered by your post. Good try though.

Then let me rephrase in plainer English:

THEY DON'T.

If your freight ain't moving NOW, it's costing you money. Period. Anyone who has dealt with contracting goods knows that contracting includes where to be delivered and a "delivered by" date. Unless you know a J6 transport is due in you're not going to wait.

You as the shipper are not going to sit around and pray that Fed Ex will be sending a truck 'round your way some time soon when you have offices for UPS, DHL, or even USPS in your town who can carry it and carry it now. Unless you are looking to contract regular services the 'bidding' is reduced to one wave to each office asking "I have X tons of <something> dimensions of <ht x lgth x width> going to (name destination). How much to pick up and deliver by (name a date).

Trust me I did my share of contracting computer buys, as well as mobile/hand-held radios and cell phones while in the Air Force. NOTHING sits on a dock 'just in case' a better cargo carrier will come by.

 

[DFW]

Yes we know this. That is why the original question. Which isn't answered by your post. Good try though.

Then let me rephrase in plainer English:

THEY DON'T.

They don't what?

 

[Treebore]

Yes we know this. That is why the original question. Which isn't answered by your post. Good try though.

Then let me rephrase in plainer English:

THEY DON'T.

They don't what?

Um, they don't wait. As per your OP question. They ship with the first available shipper that offers a rate within their cost estimates. Realistically. I don't know what the books say, because I usually don't care what the books say. After ten years of owning and running my own business and doing lots of international shipping, I usually know how I want to handle such issues without the books.

 

[Jeraa]

I agree with GamerDude and Treebore. They wouldn't wait for that rare J6 cargo ship that may or may not come. They know a J6 ship coming through is rare, so wouldn't rely on them for anything. Sure, having one come around may be nice, and they would use it when they could, but they would not rely on it. And even if one did come, there is no guarantee that it will take your cargo. Now a J2 ship, those come through all the time, and those would be what gets used.

Despite the ships being slower, using a J2 ship will probably get the cargo to its destination quicker, because you don't have to sit around waiting for a ship to arrive. Yeah the trip would take 3 weeks instead of 1, but J2 cargo vessels would be far more common than a J6. You would be more likely to find one willing to take your cargo.

 

[Nuclear Fridge Magnet]

Just ask yourself: how common are J-6 cargo ships? Given the ship mortgage rules and the constraints of jump-drive fuel requirements, you are not going to have a ship that comes within shouting distance of breaking even each month.

Imperiallines (in the old Traveller Adventure) runs J-6 transports, but it's not a 'real' merchant firm; it's a covert transport outfit for the Imperial authorities. Outside of such an operation, I can't see even a megacorporation like Tukera Lines having more than a handful of such vessels. Maybe one per sector. So having the Spinward Express come zooming through on your backwater systems route just isn't going to happen. It'll be J-2 and J-3 (at most).

 

[rust]

Unless you are looking to contract regular services the 'bidding' is reduced to one wave to each office asking "I have X tons of <something> dimensions of <ht x lgth x width> going to (name destination). How much to pick up and deliver by (name a date).

I doubt that free trader ships have permanent offices on each planet whe-
re one could call and ask for a price, at least the Traveller rules do not
support this, as such offices are not mentioned.

Therefore the agent can either attempt to ask each of the free trader cap-
tains individually, which would consume a lot of time, or he can make his
problem public, probably on some kind of starport datanet, and wait for the
offers from the various free trader ships to come in - an auction.

In my view there would most probably be some kind of "starport black-
board" where the various freight agents looking for a transport would post
their freights (tons, destination, time frame, special handling required ...).
The captains of the free traders would take a look at this "blackboard" to
see which freights are available, and if one of the available freights would
suit them, they would post a non-public offer (price, date of delivery ...).
Then the agent would decide which of the offers to accept, based on price
and time of delivery as well as reputation of the ship in question.

 

[DFW]

I doubt that free trader ships have permanent offices on each planet where one could call and ask for a price, at least the Traveller rules do not support this, as such offices are not mentioned.

Therefore the agent can either attempt to ask each of the free trader cap-
tains individually, which would consume a lot of time, or he can make his
problem public, probably on some kind of starport datanet, and wait for the offers from the various free trader ships to come in - an auction.

In my view there would most probably be some kind of "starport black-
board"

Yes, this seems to be the most workable & logical system out in an area like the Marches, where cargo movement is largely via Tramp.