How to do a Cargo Run in Sea of Thieves

Published October 11, 2018 8:30 AM, by Sam Chandler

Cargo Runs are the newest addition to Sea of Thieves, bringing a bit more variety to the Merchant Alliance voyages. Players who choose to partake in a Cargo Run will be tasked with delivering various goods to another vendor on another outpost or seapost.

How to do a Cargo Run

The Merchant Alliance has expanded its voyages to include Cargo Runs, a voyage that is similar in style to the original, but with a few key differences. While speed was always important with Merchant Alliance, Cargo Runs now demand both speed and care be taken when delivering the precious goods.

The other key difference is that instead of going out to an island with an inventory and spending time searching for items, the person sending the delivery will give the player the crates. This cuts down on a lot of time running around in search of animals.

What’s more is that when a Cargo Run is accepted, the delivery destination will be attached to the crate of goods. If the crate is stolen, the thieves will know where to take it, but you can just as easily meet them there. Furthermore, this means Cargo Runs can be initiated and then another voyage can be proposed, essentially increasing the amount the player can earn while voyaging.

1. Purchase a Cargo Run from the Merchant Alliance or find one in a barrel
2. Accept the Cargo Run and locate the vendor sending the order
3. Approach the vendor and take the crates of goods
4. Take the goods to the ship and place them in a secure location
5. Press the appropriate button when looking at the crates to see where the order must go
6. Find the Outpost or Seapost on the map and set sail
7. Take the crates to the vendor listed on the order

As of Forsaken Shores, there are three different types of goods that can be collected and delivered as part of Cargo Runs: cloth, plants, and rum. Each of these three items has their own special needs and each one can be damaged, resulting in a lower reward.

The crate of luxurious cloth must not get wet from the moment it is collected to the moment it is delivered. Any moisture that touches the cloth will decrease its value, this includes: rain, being dropped in the ocean, being carried through water, and the bilge water in the bottom of the ship.

Crates of rum are extremely fragile and will shatter if jostled too much. This means players will have to walk with the crates of rum and not jump – this makes disembarking from a ship difficult. A good strategy is to have one player on the pier while the other one on the ship uses the “give” feature to hand the crate across the gap. Obviously, try not to fall off any high ledges or cliffs while carrying a crate of rum and keep the rum from getting shot by cannons.

Finally, the crate of plants is the last item in the Cargo Run trio of goods. Unlike the cloth, the plants must be kept wet. Letting the plants dry out should be avoided, so either keep them on deck and throw some water at them, hope that it rains, or flood the lower area of the ship to keep them sitting in water. Out of all the goods, the plants are the easiest to care for, a bit of water in the ship and just sit and forget.

Keep an eye out for any other players that might try to take your Cargo Run, as these are a great way to earn a bit of extra gold on the side. Every item that is delivered in perfect condition rewards 350 gold, and with each Cargo Run having multiple items (I’ve had some with 3 and another with 8), it’s easy to earn thousands of gold in a very short time.

Be sure to sail over to the Shacknews Sea of Thieves guide and walkthrough for more helpful pirate articles!