TRANSPORT
FEVER 3FIELD GUIDEPRE-RELEASE NOTES
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ECONOMY / REVENUE VS PROFIT

Does hauling cargo farther pay more?

Pre-release | Checked September 28, 2026. Announced TF3 rules; release build not playtested.

Within the time limit, distance does not raise the cargo payment

For the same cargo type delivered within its time limit, Urban Games says you earn the same amount regardless of the distance traveled. A longer route may still cost more to operate or complete fewer deliveries. Compare cargo revenue with route expenses and delivery timing; do not lengthen a freight line just to raise its per-delivery payment.

What to do

  1. Compare the same product and completed delivery. A different cargo type or a different amount is not a distance-only comparison. Check what reached the receiver rather than comparing two vehicle balances with different loads.
  2. Keep both routes inside the delivery window. The developer distance answer is explicitly conditional on arriving in time. Late goods still earn revenue and reduce the city Delivery rating, but the cited sources do not give a complete late-payment formula.
  3. Separate income from costs. Review the route expenses and the number of completed deliveries over a comparable period. More running vehicles, extra infrastructure and a slower return journey can change profit even when the same cargo earns the same delivery payment.
  4. Choose the useful route, not automatically the shortest. A detour may avoid a queue or residential noise; a direct route may improve turnaround. Follow one load, check its deadline and compare costs before funding a tunnel or longer railway. Waypoints let you control the chosen corridor.
  5. Fix the loss where it occurs. If the vehicle is empty, fix loading. If the shipment waits at a dock, check loading throughput. If all deliveries complete but expenses exceed income, reduce unnecessary capacity or rethink the corridor before expanding it.

How to tell it worked

The comparison uses the same cargo and delivered quantity, both journeys arrive in time, and the chosen line has an acceptable balance after expenses. Higher turnover or lower expenses can improve profit; those are separate from a distance bonus.

If you are still stuck

  • Revenue still differs: Recheck product, delivered quantity and whether both journeys arrived in time. The full release-build payment formula is not established here.
  • The long line loses money: Distance does not provide a guaranteed compensation for extra upkeep. Inspect completed loads and route expenses.
  • The profitable line stalls city growth: Payment alone does not prove good service. Check city XP and ratings.
  • You are comparing passenger fares: The developer answer cited here concerns freight. Do not apply it as a passenger-fare formula.