¶ Contract priority
PIR sorts contracts automatically. In most instances, the contract on #1 is the highest priority contract. If you are unsure about whether or not it is okay to take a contract lower in priority, ask your Mentor or ping a Senior (@Senior) on Discord.
- Rush contracts with less than 12 hours remaining
- Standard contracts with less than 12 hours remaining
- Rush contracts
- #1 contract
PIR automatically sorts contracts based on age rather than time remaining. A contract that is issued at 28 days to accept will still have higher priority if it has been issued 2 days ago than a contract that is issued at 3 days to accept that has been issued 1 day ago.
¶ Route planning
- Choose the highest priority contract
- Find contracts that can be picked up and delivered on route to the pick up station
- Find contracts that can be picked up and delivered on route to the destination station (see more detailed information here (only visible to registered Pushers))
- Complete contracts and return to Step 1
At the end of a hauling session it is acceptable to accept and complete a "round-trip" contract to return you to your home region.
¶ Pusher contract etiquette
Contracts should be prioritized from oldest to newest as much as possible:
- Pushers are expected to start with the highest priority contract. This will nearly always be the top contract in the queue
- Pushers are encouraged to use the internal tools to find contracts that help make routes more efficient while following contract priority. An example of this would be to pick up a newer contract that brings you at or near the top priority contract
- Contracts to and from Thera are generally an exception to this rule, and may be completed at any time a desirable entrance is available
Pushers should not accept more contracts at once than the Pusher can run on a single trip, either for Standard or JF freight:
- This is common courtesy to other Pushers and customers so contracts can be accepted and completed as quickly as possible
- Pushers may use additional haulers to run additional freight on the same route; however, they should only accept as many contracts as can be run in a single trip
- This is accounting for volume and value limits. Pushers must always ensure when taking multiple contracts in a single ship that value limits are observed for each type of freight class
- If you are making a round trip, accepting your return contract at the same time is acceptable
Pushers should not accept freight they do not expect to be able to complete without significant delays:
- If an unexpected delay occurs that significantly impacts the delivery time of a contract (e.g. a delay of multiple hours or overnight):
- Notify the Senior team. This can be done by pinging @Senior in #internal on the PushX Discord explaining the delay and when you intend to complete the contract
- The Seniors will add a note to the contract in PIR
- Send the client the "Contract Delay" mail found in the PIR mail templates
¶ 'Cherrypicking' and 'Sniping'
Contract 'Cherry-picking'
Contract cherry-picking is the practice of accepting lucrative contracts out of priority order.
- This behaviour is strictly prohibited and is a breach of both our Contract Management policies and our Code of Conduct (see Hauling Excellence).
- The priority queue exists to ensure fair and consistent customer service. Ignoring that priority for personal gain disadvantages customers whose contracts should be completed first, and is unfair to fellow Pushers who are following the queue correctly.
Management actively monitors for patterns of cherry-picking. Where this behaviour is identified, formal disciplinary action will be taken. Repeated or deliberate offences may result in dismissal from PushX.
Contract 'Sniping'
-
Contract sniping is an unacceptable practice where a Pusher deliberately monitors the PIR contract queue while avoiding low-value or less desirable contracts, waiting for a high-value contract to reach Priority #1 before immediately accepting it.
-
This behaviour allows the Pusher to earn disproportionately high rewards while avoiding the work required to reduce the queue. In many cases, other Pushers may have spent hours hauling contracts to bring that lucrative contract to the front of the queue, only to lose the opportunity when it is intentionally sniped.
-
While accepting the Priority #1 contract is normally the correct process, deliberately waiting for high-value contracts to reach the front of the queue is contrary to the spirit of PushX's contract management policies and the teamwork expected of all Pushers.
-
Management can readily identify patterns of contract sniping.
-
PushX succeeds because our Pushers work as a team. There is more than enough work available for everyone, and no contract is worth risking your place within the corporation.
Where a clear pattern of behaviour is established, it will be treated in the same manner as contract cherry-picking and will result in a formal warning. Repeated or deliberate offences may result in dismissal from PushX
Important Notes:
-
An exception to these policies may apply on the rare occasion where a member of management has specifically instructed a Pusher to accept a particular contract for operational needs (e.g. internal urgent fuel delivery or other special circumstance)**
-
Management will assess the overall pattern of PIR monitoring and contract acceptance rather than isolated incidents.
¶ All contracts must be opened via PIR
Contracts must be opened via PIR because PIR:
- Sorts the contracts in Queue Order and guarantees the integrity of each contract to give our customers a consistent experience
- Ensures the contract reward and collateral for the route is correct
- Filters out contracts from banned customers, bad Upwell structures, and Pochven Home systems
Using the in-game Contracts window to accept PushX freight carries significant risk of accepting bad contracts which you will be unable to complete, or handling freight from banned customers who have previously attempted to scam or otherwise harm PushX haulers.
Accepting contracts outside of PIR may result in significant loss of ISK and removal from PushX.
¶ Read the contract
Always read the contract description and any notes in PIR before accepting the contract.
Always read the entire contract from top to bottom in-game before clicking accept. Once you accept the contract you take full responsibility for any loss or excessive delay that occurs.
Be sure to look for Split Contracts and multi-pickups.
¶ Check the contract's contents
The content of contracts should always be checked right after accepting. Check the contract for assembled containers or double wraps:
- The easiest way to do this is to Item Exchange the courier wrap from your Pusher to your hauler
- Contracts containing double wraps or assembled containers cannot be item exchanged and must be station traded. In addition, they are not allowed for freighter sized contracts and must be returned if present. Also see the section on containers.
Always appraise the value of the freight (only visible to registered Pushers).
¶ Special cases
¶ Split contracts
Customers are allowed to break a single contract up into several sub-contracts (all going from the same pick up station to the same destination station), if the number of item stacks in the contract exceeds EVE Online's item stack limit for contracts.
The total combined volume of these sub-contracts cannot total more than the max size we offer for the service type. These sub-contracts should be identified by Split 1/3, Split 2/3, Split 3/3, etc. in the info by Issuer field. Since the contract is split into several sub-contracts, the reward and collateral will be spread across all the sub-contracts. These sub-contracts are meant and designed to be delivered together, not separately, so DO NOT take 1/2 of a contract while leaving 2/2 behind for another Pusher to complete.
Seniors are trained to identify Split Contracts with matched color coding and a Contract Note in PIR indicating they are a split
¶ Containers
For Highsec service Push Industries discourages the use of containers in contracts and asks customers to avoid them when possible. We require that customers identify when containers are present in a contract by saying so in the contract description.
However, this does not always happen and the only way for Pushers to identify contracts with containers is after they have already accepted them. In the case where a Pusher accepts a contract with a container, that freight package will have to be directly traded between the contractor and the hauler at the pick up station and again at the destination station.
A CONTRACT CONTAINING A CONTAINER CANNOT BE RE-CONTRACTED. This means that the contractor and the hauler must be on different accounts to be logged in simultaneously to perform the trade.
We do not allow containers in freighter-sized contracts (>62,500 m3). If you encounter one, that contract will need to be rejected and returned.
¶ Rejecting contracts
Only Senior Pushers, PushX Managers, and PushX Executives are authorized to reject a contract in any circumstance. If you believe you see an erroneous contract, notify the PushX Senior team so they can review the contract and handle the error.
¶ Erroneous contracts
Sometimes Push Industries receives contracts with the wrong duration and/or reward.
Seniors will reject these contracts and send a mail to the customer explaining the issue.
Split contracts are not considered to be wrongly priced as long as all the rewards among the sub-contracts total the correct reward.
¶ Dangerous contracts
In the case of low sec and null sec contracts Push Industries reserves the right to reject any contract that is too dangerous to reasonably complete (e.g. A null sec JF contract to a highly populated and active null sec system that has been actively "hellcamped" for several days).
¶ Scam contracts
Scam contracts are contracts that are made with the intention of forcing the hauler to fail the contract. Though uncommon in PushX, this can happen.
If something looks "off" about a contract, speak to a PushX Senior, Manager, or Executive for advice. Somethings that could indicate a scam contract include:
- The contract is a rush
- The contract is in a remote area of space
- The contract is maximum collateral
- The contractor's completed public contract history is full of previous scam contracts or attempts
- The contractor nags constantly about moving his items before he logs out
- The contractor talks non-stop in the in-game PushX channel
- The online contractor never responds to Evemails or convo requests
Remember, the only way for a scam contract to succeed is for the contract to be failed. Operating within PushX guidelines and utilized PIR makes it extremely unlikely that an attempted scam contract will be successful.
¶ Contracts with incorrect collateral
¶ Under collateral
A contract where the value of the freight is higher than the collateral of the contract. There are two types of Under Collateral Contracts:
- Under Collateral - Dangerous - When the value of the freight is too high for the service type making the contract too dangerous
- Example 1: A contract larger than 360,000 m3 (freighter-sized) with a value of 6b isk would be classed as "Under Collateral - Dangerous"
- Example 2: A Pochven contract with a value of 6b would be classed as "Under Collateral - Dangerous"
- Under Collateral - Under Reward - When the value of the freight exceeds the collateral enough to render the reward incorrect
- Example 1: A 1.5b collateral contract with an appropriate reward for 1.5b collateral, but an actual value of 2.5b, would be classed as "Under Collateral - Under Reward"
- Example 2: A 7.5b collateral HS-only blockade runner contract with an appropriate reward for 10b, but an actual value of 15b, would be classed as "Under Collateral - Under Reward"
If the collateral and value of a contract is 1.5b or less, the contract can be completed, as neither the reward nor safety of the contract is affected in any service class. Otherwise, the Under Collateral contract should be failed, and the freight returned to the customer.
¶ Over collateral
Contracts to PushX that are highly over collateralized to PushX are usually a mistake. PushX rarely gets gank contracts, as it is much more work for the gankers than using a public hauler.
If you feel the contract is too dangerous to complete, consult with a PushX Senior, Manager, or Executive and ask if it would be appropriate to contact the customer and arrange to contract the package back and have them resubmit the contract with the correct collateral (which will also lower the price for the client).
If you feel you can complete the contract, you may do so.
¶ Failing an under collateral contract
- Report your failed contract in Discord in #internal by typing /fail and filling in the contract ID and Janice link
- Open the correct mail template via the dropdown menu found on the incorrect contract in PIR
- Fill in the mail template
- Create an item exchange contract returning the courier plastic wrap to the client for the price of the collateral with a 3 day expiration
- Link the item exchange contract in the indicated place in the mail
- Send the mail and fail the incorrect courier contract
In some cases, such as a brand new Rush contract, it may be appropriate to also send the client a conversation request notify them of the situation. Usually, it is a mistake and the customer cooperates.
If you need assistance with this process, or the client is uncooperative, speak to a PushX Senior, Manager, or Executive for assistance.
¶ Failing a contract - Gank
Very rarely, Pushers may fall victim to a gank. The following procedure must be followed:
- Report the gank immediately in the Internal channel in Discord by pinging @Senior.
- A Senior+ will open a thread to debrief the incident, and get further details. There is no requirement to discuss the loss in #internal.
- Locate and copy the Janice appraisal link, the Contract ID number (9-digits, found via the three-line 'hamburger' drop down in PIR next to the affected contract) and the zKillboard link relating to your ship loss.
- Type /fail into the #internal channel and enter the Janice ID, contract ID number, and a brief message (e.g. Ganked Uedama)
- Send the customer a Failed Contract mail from PIR - Mail Templates > Failed Contract.
- Open the contract in-game from PIR and select Fail.
- Do not delay the above steps following the loss. This procedure takes precedence over debriefing in Discord. If you need time away from the game, complete the process above and advise in the debrief thread you require a short break.
- Finally: Breathe. These situations, while rare, happen to most Pushers if their career is long enough.
- Be open and honest in your debrief thread and learn from your mistakes! You will be asked to provide your zKill link for your ship loss during the debrief session, so that the loss can be logged.