I have to agree that I think multi drop could be in development. It will take time to develop though. With multi drop, certain things need to happen. In ATS, scales and weigh stations need to become 100% functional and have purpose. Without multi drop, this doesn't happen. A few things I have mentioned in the past that fit this thread better are below. The cargo part is an edited copy paste version from the original thread but they go with this topic.
First up, multiple trailers. I don't think we should be limited to just matching trailers. In NA, it doesn't work like that for LTL transport.
Here is an example of real life. SCS should implement mix matching for double trailers for at leat 2-3 companies. As more LTL companies come to the game, the more options.
Cargo wise(original post), we need something to the affect of this to make weight a factor for multi drop. This control introduces a valid fine system.
What could happen is pre selected configurations being available at pick up. When we arrive with our TO trailers, we could have options in loads to haul from the same prefab. Instead of having 1 specific load, we get multiple option to choose from. For example:
1) Full truck load of lettuce
2) 1/2 truck load of lettuce, 1/2 truck load of potatoes
3) 1/3 truck load of lettuce, 1/3 truck load of potatoes, 1/3 truck load of tomatoes
4) 1/4 truck load of lettuce, 1/4 truck load of potatoes, 1/4 truck load of tomatoes, 1/4 truck load of onions
Fruits can be done the same as above. With options 2,3 and 4 being part of multi drop, 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 can be dropped off to multiple locations. When we have pup doubles, , triples, RMD or TP, that gives even more options to either load them as one specific loads or load doubles 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 full of different cargoes.
I am sure there are many other combinations of goods that can be done this way. For flatbeds, I have plenty of example in the link in my signature. But a good example would be mixed goods to deliver to the Home Store or Olthon Homes. Mixed hardware, lumber, building, etc cargoes can be loaded on dry vans and on flatbeds.
Below is a quick AutoCad drawing to explain this concept a little more. The below is a quick example of what I'm referring to. I have only six options here but instead of groups of 4, it could be groups of 2, groups of 6...a whole truck or half a truck whatever. But we should be able to manually load the truck ourshelves. I think this is what people are looking for with multi drop control. Partial loads for several drop off locations. The ability to haul what you want weight wise. I think this is how you get to play with sliding your tandems once loaded, this is how the scales at truck stops come into play and this is how weigh stations come into play to get fined for not being loaded correctly. Its an entire new game mechanic that would be required. Its more of a weight manager. You are at your own risk but you do have more control at the same time.
Something like a pull down menu per slots, or per trailer or perhaps a cursor grab and drop idea, to allow people to setup their loads. Something like this would be a huge boost to the Cargo Market and it would get a lot more people into trailer ownership. Its more customization and that is what people like....options. This market should really be driving the game almost on its own. I can get deeper for sure.
Perhaps make this option available for distribution warehouses
only. No point of doing this at every prefab. Distribution warehouse is where they get all the different products from manufactures in one big ole melting pot. This goes for food industry and non food industries. But warehouses/logistics could have a larger role. For us in ATS/ETS2, when we choose to haul from here, that is when we get the option to load like the above. We will need lots more manufacturers shipping to these warehouses though. This would make the amount of cargo def files needed even more. With more def files, we have way more options to load the trailers.
SCS can definitely tie this into
contracts. Perhaps that's a new market they can make. Maybe even a combination of
events.
that's not going to work. There will be the same kind of choice that we already have, broken down into "less than a full trailer", but the individual amount will be determined by the sender and we can just choose what we want to transport.