Skytran is designed for people but it can be used for hauling goods as well.

Driverless

Since the cars are "driven" under computer control there is no need for a driver. The destination is set, the door is closed, and it arrives at the destination without further human intervention. This saves expense as well as overhead weight and reduces freight driver fatalities to zero.

Routing

The Skytran system routes vehicles in the most efficient manor. Because the guideway is in a grid, track outages or congestion are routed around, ensuring much faster transportation than trucks.

Distance

The convenient distances for SkyTran freight are the same as for people, a few miles to a few hundred miles. Shorter and longer hauls have no particular barriers.

Payload

The volume in a two person tandem SkyTran car is roughly 27 inches wide, 48 inches high and 72 inches long. Maximum weight is 500 pounds. SkyTran cars that can accommodate a Europallette are under consideration.

Since cars can be sent from specific sources to specific destinations that are designed to handle them. There is no reason there can not be dedicated freight cars. They just need to conform to the external dimensions and weight limits as passenger cars. A dedicated freight car would have no seats. Windows are optional. Even environmental conditioning like refrigergation are possible. With proper insulation and refrigerated loading and unloading docs, the refrigeration can be passive, especially because SkyTran's high speed enables it to get from source to destination quicker than trucks or rail.

Ownership

Passenger SkyTran vehicles are part of the system and can be used by anyone. Freight is likely to have two classes of vehicles, those that are highly customized for a company and thus owned by the company, and those that are general purpose vehicles that can be used by anyone.

Loading and Unloading

A SkyTran freight vehicle would be designed to have a wide door for ease of loading. One entire side might be removable. We expect robotic equipment to perform routine loading and unloading operations to further save transportation costs. Because guideways are quiet, pollution free and easily configured, many freight stations will be within warehouses and factories. A SkyTran car can deliver parts to a particular spot on an assembly line and carry away finished product at the end of the assembly line. Movable guideways might even be configured to enter ships and airplanes to reduce transfer costs. The time and money saving architecture of SkyTran will enhance just-in-time manufacturing, reducing time to market and warehousing costs.

Using Passenger Vehicles for Freight

Low volume ad-hoc package delivery can be accomplished with SkyTran's passenger cars. The sender carries the package to a regular Skytran station. They place the package in the car and indicate the destination and who will pickup the package, then send the riderless car on its way. At the destination, the receiver will recognize their name on the car's external display, touch their ID card to the "lock" and the door will open so that only the receiver can pick up the package. The car can be programmed to go to multiple stops to protect against "no-shows" by the receiver. One possible destination is a post office near the receiver. If no one picks up the package, the car will be sent to a "lost and found" parking lot. A sender will pay dearly for this service so they will be cautious to select reliable receivers.