How cargo works in Transport Fever 3
Boosting production
Any industry produces more when a passenger line brings enough workers to it, often enough. When workers stop arriving, the boost stops too. Raw industries have a second option: deliveries of their booster cargo. The boost uses up that cargo from the industry's input storage and ends when there is not enough left.
Output storage and lost cargo
Finished cargo waits at the industry until a vehicle on a line that is set to load it comes by. You decide where it goes. If nobody collects it and the output storage is full, the industry keeps producing and the cargo that does not fit is destroyed, so an unserved by-product is simply lost.
New industries and closures
New industries appear when demand rises far enough or when a cargo type is demanded for the first time. An industry you do not own is marked for closure when it has not produced, consumed or shipped anything for 10 years (unless industry closure is set to Never). It then shows a 730-day countdown; while the game calendar is paused, the countdown is shown in real time instead. Any production, consumption or shipment before the end saves it.
Climate zones
Maps use one of four climates: Temperate, Dry, Tropical, and Subarctic. 11 of the 32 industries are only listed for some of them, which decides which chains you can build. The home page shows which end products each climate can make.
Where the official manual disagrees with itself
The manual describes cargo in two tables: one per cargo type and one per industry. They do not always match. We show both versions and do not pick one for you.
- Industry names. The cargo table uses different names for three industries: “Bricks Works” for Brick Works, “Farm” for Crop Farm, and “Food Factory” for Canning Factory. This site uses the industries table names.
- Who makes Fertilizer. The cargo table names Chemical Plant as the maker. In the industries table, the production rule of Chemical Plant has no Fertilizer output; the rule that makes it belongs to Oil Refinery. The planner uses the production rules because only they give amounts.
- Who uses Grain. Both tables list Livestock Farm. Only the industries table lists Brewery.
- Who uses Machines. Both tables list Vehicle Factory, Oil Well, and Sand Excavator. Only the industries table lists Furniture Factory and Livestock Farm. Only the cargo table lists Logging Camp and Iron Ore Mine. The manual's own text says booster cargo is for raw industries, yet Furniture Factory and Livestock Farm need input cargo to produce.
- Quarry in Dry. The industries table marks it with a check mark in parentheses. The manual does not say what the parentheses mean.
Frequently asked questions
How many cargo types and industries are in Transport Fever 3?
The official manual lists 36 cargo types and 32 industries for free game mode: 12 raw materials, 11 intermediate products, 3 booster products and 10 end products. Some campaign missions add special cargo and industries that are not in that list.
Which industries only appear in some climate zones?
According to the manual's industries table, these industries are not listed for all four climates: Brewery (Temperate, Dry, Subarctic), Brick Works (Temperate, Dry), Cement Plant (Tropical, Subarctic), Clay Pit (Temperate, Dry), Cotton Farm (Temperate, Tropical), Fishing Grounds (Temperate, Tropical, Subarctic), Paper Mill (Subarctic), Printing Press (Subarctic), Rubber Farm (Tropical), Sand Excavator (Temperate, Tropical, Subarctic), and Tire Factory (Tropical). The Quarry is marked for Dry with a check mark in parentheses, which the manual does not explain.
What happens when an industry’s output storage is full?
Production does not stop. The industry keeps producing, and any cargo that no longer fits in its output storage is destroyed. Cargo only leaves an industry when a vehicle on a line set up for that cargo picks it up.
How do I increase an industry’s production?
Any industry produces more when a passenger line brings enough workers to it often enough. Raw industries can also be boosted with booster cargo (Fertilizer, Machines, or Tools); the booster uses up these deliveries and stops when they run out. Raw industries also grow by adding plots when they are served well, so keep space around them free.
Why did an industry close in Transport Fever 3?
An industry that you do not own can be marked for closure when it has not produced, consumed or shipped anything for 10 years, unless industry closure is set to Never. It then gets a 730-day countdown. If it produces, consumes or ships goods again before the countdown ends, it stays.
Source
All industry and cargo data on this page comes from the Industries and Cargo page of the official Transport Fever 3 manual (revised September 28, 2026), checked on October 5, 2026. Covers free game mode only. Campaign missions can add special cargo and industries that the manual leaves out. Found something that looks different in game? Tell us.
