Editing Transport

{{:Starship-Nav-Bar-Two-2019CE}}
[[Transport|T-class Transport]]: Bulk transport vessels are civilian commercial ships with [[hull]]s designed for transport of bulk materials, liquids, [[fuel]], [[ore]], [[grain]], [[barge]]s, and even other [[starship]]s!
* [[Transport]]s ideally carry high thousands to tens of thousands of cargo including bulk cargo, project cargo, and very large, heavy, or bulky items that smaller [[liner]]s or [[freighter]]s could not, such as turbine parts, large scale fusion power plants, or even [[ship hull]]s.
* '''[[Tanker]]s''' carry vast amounts of [[fuel]]s or other high value liquids...
* '''[[Bulk Cargo Carrier]]s''', [[Grain Hauler]]s, [[Ore Hauler]]s, [[Tanker]]s, [[Ship Transporter]]s, and a variety of other subclasses with varied missions comprise this grouping although the bulk cargo carrier is the best known.
* The same [[hull]]s under dedicated military service are known as Q-class [[Combat Support Ship]]s and I-class [[Combat Transport]]s. I-class vessels are hardened and often armored for hostile conditions. 
* The [[Supraclass]] designation is also known as [[Ship Mission]], [[Ship Mission Code]], Mission, or [[Ship Hull Designation]]. 
* It is a [[starship]] [[supraclass]].
[[File: Technical Data.jpg|right]]

=== Library Data Referral Tree ===
Please refer to the following [[AAB]] [[Library Data]] for more information: <br>
'''[[Starship]]:'''
{{:Referral-Tree-Starship-User-Types}}
{{:Referral-Tree-Advanced-Ship-Classifications}}
{{:Referral-Tree-Basic-Ship-Classifications}}
{{:Referral-Tree-Ships-by-Function}}
{{:Referral-Tree-Speed-of-Travel}}

== Description ([[Specifications]]) ==
Transports and tankers are the really large cargo ships built to conduct corporate bulk trade. They are expensive ships and often come equipped with light armament and significant defensive suites. Convoys and [[escort]]s are common. Almost all bulk trade is scheduled, profitable, and integral to an established interstellar, economic network. Some larger [[ship]]s weigh hundreds of thousands of [[ton]]s in displacement. Few are [[streamlined]] or designed to enter an [[atmosphere]]. Most make use of [[highport]]s and extensively employ [[Spaceplane|interface craft]]. [[High Pop World|High population]], [[Rich World|rich]] [[nexus world]]s, and [[capital]]s are their most common destinations. {{Unpublished cite|author= [[Maksim-Smelchak]] }} 

=== Image Repository ===
This image repository features a selection of transports and tankers: <br>
''[[Merchant Vessel]] - [[Bulk Cargo Carrier|Type TC Bulk Cargo Carrier]]s:''
# A [[Jack Driscoll class Bulk Freighter|''Jack Driscoll'' class Bulk Freighter]]. <br> [[File: Jack-Driscoll-Adie-Stewart-Unpublished-Pg-TBD 31-Aug-2018a.jpg|600px]]
# An [[Empress class Bulk Carrier|''Empress'' class Bulk Carrier]]. <br> [[File:J1 75000dT Bulk Carrier.jpg|600px]]
# An [[Aspirant class Provincial Carrier]]. <br> [[File:J1 9000dT Provincial Carrier.jpg|400px]]
# A [[Connestoga class Heavy Carrier|''Connestoga'' class Heavy Carrier]]. <br> [[File:J1 45000dT Heavy Carrier.jpg|400px]]
# A [[Hercules class Commercial Tender|''Hercules'' class Commercial Tender]]. <br> [[File:J2 3500dT Commercial Tender.jpg|400px]]
# A side view of a blocky [[Suluru class Mercantile Carrier|''Suluru'' class Mercantile Carrier]]. <br> [[File:J1 20000dT Freight Carrier.jpg|500px]]
# This is a side view and a top view of a smaller layout of the [[modular ship]] known as the [[Roca Maestro class Modular Ore Hauler]]. <br> [[File: Roca-Maestro-class-Modular Ore-Hauler--SIDE-VIEW-T5-Tom-Mouat 07-Aug-2019b.jpg|500px]]
<br>
''[[Merchant Vessel]] - [[Tanker|Type TF Tanker]]s:''
# A massive [[Baleen class Heavy Tanker|''Baleen'' class Heavy Tanker]]. <br> [[File:J2 40000dT Heavy Tanker.jpg|600px]]
# A [[Nimrod class Fuel Lighter|''Nimrod'' class Fuel Lighter]]. <br> [[File:J0 15000dT Fuel Lighter 2.jpg|500px]]
# A [[Provision class Medium Tanker|''Provision'' class Medium Tanker]]. <br> [[File:J2 8000dT Tanker 2.jpg|500px]]
<br>
''[[Merchant Vessel]] - [[Jump Ship|Type TJ Jump Ship Transporter]]s:''
# A [[Type TJ class Jump Ship]] hauling valuable [[asteroid]] [[ore]] with its flexible jump net. <br> [[File: Brown-class-Jump-Ship-RESIZE-J-Jaquays-Supp-9-CT 28-Aug-2019b.JPG|500px]]
<br>
''[[Merchant Vessel]] - [[Ship Transporter|Type TV Ship Transporter / Commercial Tender]]s:''
# A [[Corporate class Range Carrier|''Corporate'' class Range Carrier]]. <br> [[File:J2 75000dT Range Carrier.jpg|600px]]
# A huge [[Mariner class Frame Carrier|''Mariner'' class Frame Carrier]]. <br> [[File:J2 90000dT Frame Carrier.jpg|600px]]
# A commercial [[Endeavor class Ship Transporter|''Endeavor'' class Ship Transporter]] mounting two [[Bluestone class Cargo Barge|''Bluestone'' class Cargo Barge]]s. <br> [[File:J2 30000dT Civilian Ship Transporter.jpg|600px]]
# A J-2 [[High Liner class Bulk Freighter]] transporting a pair of [[Elysium class Passenger Barge|''Elysium'' class Passenger Barge]]s. <br> [[File:J2 5000dT High Liner Barges.jpg|600px]]

=== Spectrum of Civil Shipping in Charted Space ===
{{:Referral-Table-Spectrum-of-Civil-Shipping}}

=== Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine) ===
''Transport''s form the economic backbone that enables any sizable [[polity]] to exist. If there is one [[supraclass]] that can be said to be the single most vital to any such [[polity]], this is it.  The [[Third Imperium]] could, in theory under hypothetical optimal conditions, continue to exist without [[warship]]s, [[scout vessel]]s, [[x-boats]] (...communications being handled by transports instead), and all other types - but it can not exist without transports hauling [[freight]] (...and sometimes [[passenger]]s) from world to world. {{Unpublished cite|author= [[Adrian Tymes]] }} 

One reason is that many colonies can not survive without continued import of vital goods. During the [[Long Night]] and [[Collapse]], when conditions (...whether destruction of or damage to transports, loss of availability of maintenance, disruption of cargo availability, destabilization of currency, or any of a number of other factors) meant that transports stopped coming, many colonies were unable to support themselves. [[Nonagricultural world]]s ran out of food, many [[agricultural world]]s ran out of spare parts to run their farms (...or the machines that kept their land arable), and many worlds with tainted or [[exotic atmosphere]]s ran out of spare parts for the machines that kept their air breathable. Lucky survivors found their way to other worlds that could sustain themselves; the rest died. Only with the return of regular freight service could these colonies be successfully re-established. {{Unpublished cite|author= [[Adrian Tymes]] }}

=== Supraclass Roles ===
''Transport''s typically serve the following roles: <br>
''[[Largecraft]] & [[Bigcraft]]:''
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
!colspan="4"| T-class Transport & Tanker Supraclass Archetypes
|-
! Archetype
! Type Code
|-
| [[Bulk Carrier]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Bulk Cargo Carrier]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Bulk Cargo Hauler]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Bulk Hauler]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Bulk Liquid Carrier]]
| (TF)
|-
| [[Bulk Transport]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Bulk Transporter]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Cargo Carrier]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Cargo Ship]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Cargo Transport]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Commercial Tender]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Frame Carrier]]
| (TV) 
|-
| [[Fleet Transport]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Frame Carrier]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Frontier Tanker]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Frontier Transport]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Fuel Lighter]]
| (TF)
|-
| [[Grain Hauler]]
| (TCG)
|-
| [[Heavy Jump Transport]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Heavy-lift Ship]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Heavy Tanker]]
| (TF)
|-
| [[Heavy Transport]]
| (TH)
|-
| [[Highliner]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Jump Cab]]
| (TJ)
|-
| [[Jump Caboose]]
| (TJ)
|-
| [[Jump Ferry]]
| (TJ)
|-
| [[Jump Ship]]
| (TJ)
|-
| [[Jump Tanker]]
| (TF)
|-
| [[Jump Train]]
| (TJ)
|-
| [[Light Transport]]
| (TL)
|-
| [[Medium Transport]]
| (TM)
|-
| [[Merchant Tender]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Modular Ore Hauler]]
| (TCO)
|-
| [[Ore Hauler]]
| (TCO)
|-
| [[Project Cargo Ship]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Provincial Carrier]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Range Carrier]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Ship Transporter]]
| (TV)
|-
| [[Station Tanker]]
| (TF)
|-
| [[Superheavy Transport]]
| (TS)
|-
| [[Super-Heavy Transport]]
| (TS)
|-
| [[Tanker]]
| (TF) (Namesake)
|-
| [[Transport]]
| (T) (Namesake)
|-
| [[Transporter]]
| (TC)
|-
| [[Ultraheavy Transport]]
| (TU)
|-
| [[Ultra-Heavy Cargo Transport]]
| (TU)
|-
| [[Vehicle Carrier]]
| (TV)
|-
|}

==== Size-Class Roles for Transport Vessels ====
# [[Utility Craft]] (U) (1 to 99 [[ton]]s)
# [[Tramp Vessel]] or [[Liner]] (A or R) (100 to 2,499 [[ton]]s)
# [[Light Transport]] (TL) (2,500 to 99,999 [[ton]]s)
# [[Medium Transport]] (TM) (100,000 to 249,999 [[ton]]s)
# [[Heavy Transport]] (TH) (250,000 to 499,999 [[ton]]s)
# [[Superheavy Transport]] (TS) (500,000 to 999,999 [[ton]]s)
# [[Ultraheavy Transport]] (TU) (1,000,000 or more [[ton]]s)

==== Civilian Subcraft ====
Civilian [[subcraft]] (...both [[smallcraft]] and [[bigcraft]]) are carried by some of these [[vessel]]s:
# [[Barge]] (WB)
# [[Utility Craft]] (U)

=== Supraclass Archetypal Roles ===
These vessels typically serve the following archetypal roles:
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
!colspan="4"| T-class Transport Supraclass Archetypes
|-
! Archetype
! Type Code
! Exemplar
! Remarks
|-
| [[Transport]]
| T (Namesake)
| [[Oukhaha class Bulk Hauler]]
| Transporters are a generic class of large tonnage cargo transport vessels. There are numerous subclasses, but all carry large amounts of cargo freight, often in bulk forms.
* T = Transport
|- 
| [[Bulk Cargo Carrier]]
| TC
| [[Empress class Bulk Carrier]]
| Bulk cargo haulers focus on transporting containerized freight.  They often operate over well known, long establish routes.  They are often contracted directly to companies with most or all their capacity used for moving that company's products.  The primary way they differ from other transports is that they deal with large cargo containers.  These containers are connected to an external framework, which provides atmosphere and power, and allows access by crew members.  There are usually discounts for modules without power and/or atmosphere requirements.
* C = Cargo
|-
| [[Grain Hauler]]
| TCG
| [[Average Cargo Ship class Cargo Ship]]
| Another bulk cargo hauler for agricultural products. These cargoes can not exposed to vacuum or temperature extremes, so the hold is sealed, and subject to strict environmental standards.  The holds are normally not suitable for passengers or crew due to the temperature, atmospheric mix, or pressure conditions needed to keep the agricultural products as fresh as possible.  Grain is merely one of the most common cargoes these ships carry; anything that requires a pressurized, environmentally-controlled container may be carried by this type.
* G = Grain
|-
| [[Ore Hauler]]
| TCO
| [[Roca Maestro class Modular Ore Hauler]]
| A specialized bulk cargo hauler for raw or processed ore.  To qualify as this type, at least half of the cargo may be exposed to vacuum and/or suffer temperature extremes (and is not necessarily liquid or gas, nor in detachable cargo containers), though some ore haulers have a small pressurized hold for more valuable cargoes.
* O = Ore
|- 
| [[Tanker]]
| TF
| [[Regent class Station Tanker]]
| Tankers are specially designed to haul cargoes of either liquid or gas.  Many are specially designed and can not take alternate types of cargo.  For example, a hydrogen carrier can not normally be used to transport ammonia.  There are some specialized tankers where entire storage modules are swapped out, not unlike bulk cargo carriers, but these are more the exception than the rule.
* F = Fuel
|-
| [[Heavy Transport]]
| TH
| [[Gargantuan class Heavy Transport]]
| ''Heavy Transport''s are a size-displacement category that includes transport vessels between 250,000 to 499,999 tons in displacement. 
* H = Heavy
|-
| [[Jump Ship]]
| TJ 
| [[Brown class Jump Ship]]
| ''[[Jump Ship]]s'' operate like [[commercial tender]]s or [[ship transporter]]s and are specialized to carry irregular shaped loads or very large cargos. Some work as [[jump shuttle]]s and attach to other non-jump-capable vessels while others latch onto other vessels and create a truly enormous jump bubble. They are not always the most economic option, but when needed, there is no other substitute. They are also known as [[Jump Shuttle]]s or [[Combat Support Tender]]s among other terms, depending on their use or application. This category covers civilian applications of the technology.
* J = [[Jump Ship]], [[Jump Shuttle]], [[Jump Train]], Irregular Load Hauler, [[etc.]]
|-
| [[Light Transport]]
| TL
| [[Refugee Pilgrim class Transport]]
| ''Light Transport''s are a size-displacement category that includes transport vessels between 2,500 to 99,999 tons in displacement.
* L = Light
|-
| [[Medium Transport]]
| TM
| [[Caccil class Merchant]]
| ''Medium Transport''s are a size-displacement category that includes transport vessels between 100,000 to 249,999 tons in displacement.
* M = Medium
|-
| [[Super Heavy Transport]]
| TS
| [[Three Sisters class Heavy Jump Transport]]
| ''Super Heavy Transport''s are a size-displacement category that includes transport vessels between 500,000 to 999,999 tons in displacement.
* S = Super Heavy
|-
| [[Ship Transporter]] / [[Commercial Tender]]
| TV
| [[Mariner class Frame Carrier]]
| ''Ship Transporter''s are similar to [[carrier]]s and [[tender]]s, but instead of military subcraft, they carry civilian [[subcraft]]. The concept is similar to the [[battle rider]] concept, except in a civilian application. The class also includes various kinds of jump ships or jump trains, specialized to carry variable cargos, or as [[jump shuttle]]s. 
* V = [[Vehicle Carrier]], [[Subcraft Carrier]], Jump Con'''V'''eyance, [[Jump Shuttle]]s, [[Ship Transporter]], [[etc.]]
|-
!colspan="4"| ''NOTES:'' There is semantic overlap between many of the classes and codes. Some codes organize by mission or capability, others by size and [[ton]]nage, and yet others by other characteristics.
|-
|}

== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) ==
Transporters and tankers have carried a stable fifth of the interstellar shipping economy for several thousand years,  only broken by periods of unrest,  war, and anarchy such as the [[Long Night]]. [[Naval architecture]] has grown quite  sophisticated over the many years of civilization within [[Charted Space]]. All sorts of technologies have been used and developed with these craft where significant economies of scale can be exploited and experimented with. {{Unpublished cite|author= [[Maksim-Smelchak]] }}  
 
=== Selected Variant Types & Classes ===
''[[Civilian Ship]] - [[Merchant Ship]] - [[Transport]]:'' <br>
''[[Type T class Transport]]:'' <br>
# [[Type TC class Bulk Cargo Carrier]]
## [[Aspirant class Provincial Carrier]]
## [[Chtierabl class Transport]]
## [[Connestoga class Heavy Carrier]]
## [[Conveyor class Heavy Freighter]]
## [[Empress class Bulk Carrier]]
## [[Fat Jack class Bulk Freighter]]
## [[Goliath class Provincial Freighter]]
## [[Hercules class Commercial Tender]]
## [[Jack Driscoll class Bulk Freighter]]
## [[Kobe class Bulk Carrier]]
## [[Last Armada class Heavy Transport]]
## [[Pegasus class Bulk Cargo Carrier]]
## [[Port of Nickle Eugenia class Bulk Container Vessel]]
## [[Reynolds Meyers Briggs class Heavy Merchant]]
## [[Sao class Heavy Merchant]]
## [[Suluru class Mercantile Carrier]]
# [[Type TCO class Ore Hauler]]
## [[Roca Maestro class Modular Ore Hauler]]
# [[Type TCG class Grain Hauler]]
## [[Average Cargo Ship class Cargo Ship]]
# [[Type TF class Tanker]]
## [[Baleen class Heavy Tanker]]
## [[Kleinnächster class Medium Tanker]]
## [[Last Armada class Frontier Tanker]]
## [[Nimrod class Fuel Lighter]]
## [[Orowani Deep Space class Heavy Tanker]]
## [[Provision class Medium Tanker]]
## [[Regent class Station Tanker]]
## [[Type 058A Fedko class Tanker]]
## [[Valdez class Fleet Tanker]]
# [[Type TH class Heavy Transport]]
## [[Gargantuan class Heavy Transport]]
# [[Type TJ class Jump Ship]] 
## [[Brown class Jump Ship]]
# [[Type TL class Light Transport]]
## [[Refugee Pilgrim class Transport]]
# [[Type TM class Medium Transport]]
## [[Caccil class Merchant]]
## [[Fornorb class Heavy Merchant]]
# [[Type TS class Super Transport]]
## [[Three Sisters class Heavy Jump Transport]]
{{:Referral-Tree-Type-TV-Ship-Transporter}}

=== Ship Summary List ===
Some of the most commonly used [[vessel]]s in this role or these roles include:
{{Ship summary list|name= Transport |tdes=T}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Bulk Cargo Carrier |tdes= TC }}
{{Ship summary list|name= Grain Hauler |tdes= TCG }}
{{Ship summary list|name= Ore Hauler |tdes= TCO }}
{{Ship summary list|name= Tanker |tdes= TF}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Heavy Transport |tdes= TH}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Jump Ship Transport |tdes= TJ}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Light Transport |tdes= TL}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Medium Transport |tdes= TM}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Superheavy Transport |tdes= TS}}
{{Ship summary list|name= Jump Shuttle / Ship Transporter |tdes= TV}}

== References & Contributors ([[Sources]]) ==
{{Advanced}}
{{Sources
|S1= This article is an amalgamation of many different materials published since 1977.
|S2= [[Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium]]
|S3= [[Traveller Wiki Editorial Team]]
|S4= Author & Contributor: [[User:atymes|Adrian Tymes]]
|S5= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology [[Maksim-Smelchak]] of the [[Ministry of Science]] 
}}


[[Category: Ship Organization]]
[[Category: Ship type definitions]]
[[Category: Supraclass]]
{{LE|}}
{{LEN|}}