GameTinkerer

Transport Fever 3 cargo line planner

Use your own numbers to estimate fleet size, compare two setups, and find the first capacity limit in a cargo chain.

Size a cargo line

Choose one period for all values, such as one in-game month. Use estimates now and replace them with values you observe in your own save after release.

Option A: current or first setup

If you choose trips, count completed round trips, not one-way legs. If you already have a measured or estimated per-vehicle capacity for the period, choose the direct input instead. Both methods assume full use of the entered capacity.

Find the first capacity limit

Use the same period and target as above. Enter your own observed or estimated capacity for each stage. Leave transfer empty if the route has no transfer. The lowest stage limits the chain's theoretical flow.

How the estimate works

For the trip method, one vehicle's theoretical period capacity is its load per completed trip multiplied by completed round trips in that period. For the direct method, you provide that period capacity yourself. The tool divides the target by one vehicle's period capacity and rounds up to a whole vehicle. Option B uses the same target but its own vehicle assumptions.

Worked example

To move 120 units per month, a vehicle carrying 20 per trip and completing two round trips per month has theoretical capacity of 40. Three vehicles cover 120; if two are already on the line, the estimate calls for one more. An alternative vehicle that moves 60 per month would need two vehicles for the same target. These numbers are an illustration, not game data.

How to read the chain check

Imagine 120 units of production per month, pickup capacity of 100, transfer capacity of 90 and final-leg capacity of 110. The transfer is the first lowest-capacity stage and the chain can theoretically move at most 90. If two stages tie, the result names both. This check compares numbers you enter; it cannot prove why a vehicle is empty or a factory stops producing.

Illustrative Transport Fever 3 cargo chain: production 120, first leg 100, transfer 90 and final leg 110 units per period; transfer is the bottleneck
Original GameTinkerer diagram. The red transfer stage limits this example to 90 units per period. Values are illustrative inputs, not verified Transport Fever 3 statistics.

What still needs in-game verification

Loading queues, empty return legs, industry inputs, warehouse behavior, deadlines, costs and game-specific line statistics are not simulated. The official cargo developer blog confirms that cargo handling and warehouses changed but does not publish a universal profit formula for this tool. Check the released game and your save before buying vehicles based on an estimate. The official support page lists the scheduled September 29, 2026 release.

Official sources reviewed September 28, 2026. This independent fan tool is not affiliated with Urban Games or Paradox Interactive.

FAQ

Does this include verified Transport Fever 3 vehicle stats?
No. Every capacity comes from your input. The worked example is illustrative.
Can I share a comparison?
Yes. Copy scenario link saves both option inputs. Existing four-parameter links for a single trip-based scenario still work.
Does the bottleneck result predict profit or delivery time?
No. It shows the lowest capacity among the stages you entered for the same period. It does not model game costs, queues or deadlines.