Example:

Oil to Sydney
312 Loads
2.54ppm (starts at 3.00)
Reward: 467 dollars a load (starts at 700)(applied seperately for both ends}

Penalty: 46700 dollars plus 1868 dollars per uncompleted load (applied seperately for both ends}

Oil to Los Angeles from Sydney

Oil from L.A to Salt Lake city
312 Loads
2.54ppm
Reward: 467 dollars a load (starts at 700)(applied seperately for both ends}

Penalty: 46700 dollars plus 1868 dollars per uncompleted load (applied seperately for both ends}


The way this would work is on one continent, a company would have to drive a certain amount of cargo to a port city from a supplier. Then, the company would have to hire space on a container ship, costing 500 dollars a load (maybe, might be diffenent for each contract), which would move the cargo from the port city to another port city on the demand continent. The move would take 14 days.

After 14 days, the company would need to carry that cargo to another city that demands it. The cargo would appear as a secondary option for only those drivers in the company, having no ties to permanent/temp supply. The company would have 30 days to complete the contract. The reward for the company starts at somewhere above break even (500 dollars a load, to pay for the ship) and can be bidded down to 0.01 dollars a load. The penalty would be 100 times the reward bid plus 4 times the bid per uncompleted load. The ppm would start at 3.00, due to many companies bidding below cost on the company reward. It would apply to both continents.

For the above contract, the company would need to carry 312 loads of oil to Sydney. Then, they would need to pay $156000 to charter the ship. The moment they charter the ship, a clock would start, and EXACTLY 336 hours later, measured in FP, the cargo would be available for pickup. Then the company drivers would need to bring the cargo to another city to complete the contract.

This type of contract would add depth to our current stale systam, and also allow the larger companies to be challenged. I would suggest they range from 100-500 loads and be open to companies with more than 100 active drivers. The rewards could be staggering, if a company bids more than cost, which is very likely, on a 300 load they could make tens of thousands, plus the massive amount pouring into their drivers. It would also likely free up the current contracts for smaller companies.

With a 3rd continent introduced I feel that it is necessecary to deepen the trukz experience to most fully realise the potential this game has. If shipping was only transcontinental our economy would collapse.

I respect the people who will say this idea is crap, if everyone, or even most people like it, I will be very happy, but will also wonder if I didn't put a subliminal brainwashing message. And yes, I will keep making suggestions if I think of a good (in my opinion) one. Please respond with your thoughts, like a diamond in the rough, this idea is nowhere near its potential. You all can make it realise that potential. Even if it has no potential. Thanks.

I assume they will have longer than a week to complete the contract in your idea, right? :lol:

Other than that, sounds like a good suggestion.

-WarMan v2

They would have 30 days, I thought I said that. Minus 14 days in transit is 8 days each way.

My mistake. You did. I must have skipped over the sentence when I first read your post. :)

-WarMan v2

This would be interesting to see in the game :)

I thought of this because I live in newfoundland, and most of our good come in on a container ship. Not a huge one, but when the ship docks trucks take the containers all over the island. Look at the international oil fleet, they ship it by ship, then by truck. I think this game should do the same.

Very interesting concept, and well thought out. It is the first time shipping has been brought up in an intellegent, feasable, and Trukz-worthy way. I would guess it would be a nightmare to code, though. And according to the penalties you suggest, could bankrupt even the biggest companies if they screwed up a contract. That could be a good thing. :)

The idea is to make the penalty proportional to the amount of the contract actually done, also in relation to the reward. So a company could cut potential losses by bidding dirt cheap. It also would defeat, to a degree, contract destroyers, who bid really low, because if they bid 1 dollar the company would only lose a bit. also they could just not hire the ship and take it. And for coding, if they can add another continent they could do soemthing like this.

i really really like the idea... all of it... except that you said for companies with over 100 drivers... I'm pretty sure HGE could handle one with 40ish active drivers... and if it gets brought in i think it should be kind of the same as other contracts... with 25 active drivers be able to do it... by the way about 90% of HGE can fly which is how its do-able for us... in my opinion anyways.

Well they would also be large, my idea was for the intercontinental to be for the companies who are not really benefited by the regular contracts, like CF and MTA, ect.

Why not start another game called SHIPZ and have them interconnect for ocean freight

actually we thought this the summer while we where swimming

i love it

You guys must remember, you need drivers on both of the continents for both ends of the contract, or have your drivers fly over. Just making sure you guys realize that.

:)

-WarMan v2

I am in a company with 24 drivers and we have some on both continents. When you get into the 100 driver range either most can fly or are there anyway.

how about the little ships little companys could do that

i like this idea but just think of the codeing and what not to make it happen i seriusly doubt that this will be incorporated

The regular contracts would be for small companies, an intercontinental would have to be 20-30 loads for a 25 to finish.

Anybody have any suggestions?

how could a 25 not do any more than 30 loads? you said its like 7 days each way... thats at least 2 or 3 loads per person... so 50 or 75 at least, because its something really cool everyone would participate

yes but a lot of 25 driver companies will have onll 3 or 4 on the other continent, and unless several can fly they won't be able to finish it. Also they would not have the money to get the ship. My idea was for the ocntracts to start at 100 loads so the big companies have something to chew on, leaving the regular contracts for the new guys.

omac whats your take on this

this is trukz not shipz i dont like it i like the regular runs besides being stuck on a route for a week jeeze i would get board

I think it would be a good idea as a gateway to a bigger game, "Shippingz" or whatever. But most trucking companies don't get involved with hiring space on container ships. This is where a logistics company, or a transportation company like UPS gets involved. As a for instance, UPS Logistics wants to move 50 trailer loads of whatever from main land China to the US. UPS's Asia company moves the freight to the dock, then the dock is loaded on a third party carrier where it's moved across the Pacific to the US dock. From the US dock UPS Logistics hires a trucking company to move the freight either to the customer or to the nearest sort facility where it reenters the UPS chain.

The biggest companies have trucks and planes. But even UPS, DHL and FedEx hire out their rail & sea moves. And UPS has more than 100 OTR drivers just in Philly Metro (trust me, I knew most of them).

true

I dont at all like the idea shippingz if dont like it get out :awesome:

any reply from omac yet

Ok I only skimmed the thread so if this has been said before then take this as an endorsement of that idea.

Have the contract be 3 parts.
Lets say the contract is for 50 loads of Automobiles to London Shipping via New York City to Dublin.

Part 1 = Taking 50 loads from wherever to NYC by a certain date.

Part 2 = Shipping. Once all 50 loads have been delivered to NYC they are then shipped to Dublin Shipping takes X amount of days.

Part 3 = Picking up the 50 loads in Dublin and delivering them to London by a certain date.

Lets say a week from City to Port, X amount of days shipping (depending on the ports), and then a week from Port to city.


Now that is for the bigger companies who have people on multiple continents. Now for the smaller companies it could be broken down like this.


Lets say the contract is for 50 loads of Automobiles to London Shipping via New York City to Dublin.

The first week of the month the contract is up for bid. Two companies bid, one for shipping and one for receiving.

Shipping contract runs from X date to Y date.
Shipping contract company delivers goods to the port city.
Goods shipped from Y date to Z date.
Receiving contract runs from Z date to ZZ date.
Receiving contract company delivers goods to destination city.

If Shipping company completes their part, but Receiving company doesn't, then only receiving company is penalized. If Shipping company doesn't complete their part then only they are penalized.

Sounds good, but why would they go to Dublin and not a port in England if the final destination is London?

I was just using Cities that are in the game as of now, and Dublin is the closest port city to London.

That's a very good point.

The additional idea that Fisha has would make it much more realistic for a small company to take part in, because, to be honest, I'm not sure a smaller trucking company would 'realistically' take part in selling their trucks, flying internationally, buying new trucks and finishing their routes when the ship docks.

It would be feasible for a large company that is already international, but smaller companies, with, of course, exceptions, wouldn't be able to do an entire contract.



As for coding, I highly doubt it'd take much. You could dock the ship in a port city and there could be an option for the contracted company to take the cargo. I.E. There is General Merch, then two options for the supply city and finally you have...Oil (50), where 50 is the amount of cargo that is left in the port.

It would be an interesting feature.

I definitely like the idea but think that it should really be in the form of a 'split contract' as Fisha suggested otherwise it wouldnt be something that smaller companies could do.

Company A runs the Supply City - Port City 1 route as a contract.
Shipping between Port City 1 and Port City 2 is done automatically (real world travel times for container ships)
Company B runs the Port City 2 - Destination City route.

If either company A or B fail to complete the contract then only they get penalied. Understandably that puts Company A, which does the first leg, under more pressure and Company B could also have it easier by already telling its members to drive to Port City 2 and wait for the boat but its just like that in real life. If Company B would like to have their drivers sitting at the docks for several days then thats their strategy. They wont make any money during that time and need to balance out waiting time at the port vs running routes and being late for the cargo pick up in Port City 2.

As to the criticism about the game turning into 'Shipz' or 'Shippingz' or 'Logisticz', I dont think thats ever gonna be an issue. We will just do the trucking bit anyway. A simple post to company members such as 'The cargo ship with 3,655 t (Approx. 183 Loads) of Glass will arrive in Miami on 12/12/2008' doesnt change the character of the game, it just adds a nice little extra to it.

We now have three continents active in the game, so already there can be quite a bit of variety in terms of two-part overseas contracts.

Also it brings something new to the game, namely that two different companies are cooperating which adds to community building and different players are in touch more. When bidding for overseas contracts you could have them listed as two parts in one contract, e.g 'Bid for Leg 1' and Bid for Leg 2' options. If then a big company would like to take on everything then fine, they can bid for both and try to get the two parts to do alone if successful in both bids.

This should be easy(ish) to code...