Hauling

Someone needs to move all that stuff around that everyone else's activities are generating. Courier contracts are a reliable source of easy ISK, assuming you have access to a large enough cargo hold; train into a freighter or jump freighter to shift huge loads around the universe on behalf of the alliance. Alternatively, the cloak-enabled T2 haulers like the Blockade Runner and Deep Space Transport can have you diving deep into dangerous territory to deliver your precious cargo.

Courier contracts – paying other players a fee for transporting your goods from A to B – are built into EVE Online, along with handling collateral (a down-payment to ensure the courier doesn't simply run off with your stuff) and calculating the route, cost-per-jump, and whether or not you're going to have trouble docking in either of the locations.

Open the Contracts window (Finance > Contracts), and select the "Available Contracts" tab. Make sure that "Courier" is selected at the top of the filter area, then click Search. You can also filter by distance, reward (the fee you'll receive), collateral (the amount you'll have to front to accept the contract), and whether you want to search for contracts that will take you into High, Low or Null sec space.

Click on any contract to view the details, and if you want to accept it click "Accept". The amount of the collateral will be deducted from your wallet (so make sure you have enough ISK!) and a packaged item will be deposited into your hangar in the pickup station. You'll need to transport it to the destination; when you get there, simply right-click the package and choose "Deliver" to receive your collateral back, plus the courier fee.

IMPORTANT! Before accepting a courier contract, make sure you have checked:

• The fee is reasonable for the distance you will have to travel
• The pickup or drop-off location(s) are somewhere you are happy travelling to
• You have a ship with a large enough hold to fit the size of the package
• The route is one you feel safe(ish) flying

In courier contracts, as in life, if something appears too good to be true, it generally is. There are many scams in EVE Online, and courier contracts are just one area where it pays to be over-cautious.

It's up to you how far you're willing to travel to haul other people's stuff. There are a couple of useful in-game chat channels that you should hang out in if hauling is something you're considering taking up, though - Haulers Channel is where players post public contract requests, and Gank-Intel contains reports of where haulers are or have recently been ganked.

• EVE University Hauling article