ROB RUN - Cargo Processing Guide: Opening Times, Contraband and Real Profit

[Diamond]

ROB RUN Cargo Processing
Opening Times • Contraband • Workbench Planning

Selling cargo immediately gives you cash sooner. Processing it can produce a better result, but adds equipment costs, waiting time, and exposure. This guide helps you compare both options using the complete operation.

Community screenshot showing the Cargo Workbench unlock. Credit: TposeGaming.

1. Start With the Correct Workstation

Equipment	What it does
Cargo Workbench	Opens compatible cargo to retrieve its contents
Contraband Workbench	Repacks compatible contraband into another cargo product
Industrial Freezer	Processes laboratory concentrate
Lab Table	Processes compatible crystals
Grow Table	Supports bushes and harvesting

Not every large object belongs on a Cargo Workbench.

The documented basic Cargo Workbench costs $5,000 to research and $15,000 to purchase, before property and upgrades.

2. Reported Cargo Opening Times

These are community-reported reference times. Installed upgrades and server changes can alter the timer.

Cargo	Reported opening time
Alcohol, Electronics, Equipment and Medications Crates	30 minutes
Spare Parts Crate and Jewelry Box	30 minutes
Weapon Parts Box	30 minutes
Blue, Red and White Suitcases	30 minutes
Valuable Cargo	30 minutes
Portable Safe and Expensive Safe	60 minutes

Use the timer shown on your active job when scheduling collection.

An "open time" field does not prove that an item can be opened on every workstation. Confirm compatibility first.

3. Opening Cargo

• Check the immediate sale offer and note the cargo's rarity.
• Transport it to the base without exceeding vehicle capacity.
• Use a compatible workbench slot.
• Check the processing timer and expected interaction.
• Collect the output and record what you actually received.
• Sell or retain the contents according to their purpose.

Compare repeated results. A lucky opening does not establish the usual value of that cargo.

4. Contraband Repacking

The Contraband Workbench is a separate operation from opening ordinary crates.

Its upgrades include:

• Tool Box: capacity improvements for the relevant workstation.
• Label Printer: processing-speed improvements.

Before purchasing a load, inspect the workstation's accepted input and available output.

A community cargo reference lists a 30-minute processing field for Contraband Cargo, but a universal input-to-output recipe and net return are not verified here.

Do not plan around an advertised profit per crate until you have checked the current recipe and completed a sale.

5. Calculate the Extra Profit From Processing

Use this comparison:

Processed output value − immediate cargo sale value − additional processing costs.

Example only:

• Immediate cargo sale: $40,000.
• Actual processed output sale: $70,000.
• Additional costs: $5,000.
• Extra return from processing: $25,000.

This example uses invented round figures to demonstrate the calculation. It is not a promised return for any named cargo.

If the operation needed a $100,000 investment, four such successful results would match that investment before other losses.

6. Speed or More Slots?

Buy capacity when compatible cargo regularly waits because all slots are occupied.

Buy speed when processing duration limits the output you can collect and sell.

Buy neither yet when the workstation spends most of its time empty.

Transport and selling can become bottlenecks too. Faster processing is not enough if finished stock accumulates unsold.

7. Keep a Cargo Record

Record	Why it matters
Cargo name and rarity	Avoid comparing different-quality items
Immediate sale offer	Establish the alternative to processing
Start and finish time	Measure your actual setup
Output and realised sale	Measure money received rather than estimated value
Losses and transport time	Calculate the operation's real return

The useful measure is profit across completed and failed runs together.

Reviewed 9 November 2026. Opening times are reported snapshots; live workstation information takes precedence.
Cargo reference and screenshot credit | Workstation reference