Hauling

Hauling is the process of a pawn carrying items from one location to another. Generally this term refers to either act of hauling items to stockpile zones by colonists or trained animals but it can also include all tasks under the Haul work type including, in descending order of priority:

• Rearm turrets.
• Refuel fuelable buildings (Torch lamps, generators, Fueled stoves etc.).
• Unload carriers.
• Load caravan.
• Load transporters.
• Strip corpses.
• Haul corpses.
• Do cremation bills.
• Do bills at campfire (such as burning drugs).
• Empty egg boxes.
• Take beer out of fermenting barrels.
• Fill fermenting barrels.
• Haul general things.
• Deliver resources to frames.
• Deliver resources to blueprints.
• Merge things.

Mechanics

All items except chunks are assumed to be hauled so long as they are not forbidden. Chunks must instead be marked for hauling with the haul things order.

Hauling is largely automatic and does not require player interaction outside of the afformentioned chunks so long as some haulers are present. Colonists or slaves can be designated as haulers by enabling the Haul work type in the Work menu - they will haul constantly when their work priories say they should prioritize the Haul work over out work types. See Work for further details. Note that the Haul job includes a number of tasks besides hauling to stockpiles, and most of those tasks have a higher priority than it.

Animals trained to haul are considered haulers. Unlike humans, they only occasionally haul. The exact mechanics are unknown.

No type of haulers will haul outside of there allowed area, but they may cross forbidden areas while if two allowed areas are not attached.

Hauling can be prioritized by selecting a pawn, right clicking on a valid (as above) target item, and selecting the Prioritize hauling <x> order. Only colonists or slaves can be ordered to haul.

Hauling inherently interacts with stockpile zones. Haulers will haul items to a stockpile zone in the following priority:^[Verify]

1. The stockpile that accepts the item type (though see below)
2. The stockpile that has a space for the item
3. The stockpile with the highest priority
4. The nearest stockpile

Note that if no stockpile exists that both accepts the item and has space, it will not be hauled. Also not that the priority of the stockpile does not dictate the order in which items will be hauled - i.e. an item destined for a critical stockpile will not necessarily be hauled before an item to go in a normal stockpile. Instead it only dictates which stockpile the item will be hauled to when it is hauled. Pawns will haul items from a lower priority stockpile to a higher priority stockpile, even when both accept the item.

Haul things order

The "haul things" order marks chunks and other items to be hauled to stockpile zone. Most other items are automatically "haulable" so long as they are not forbidden. For any item, you may have to allow the item or set a valid stockpile zone for it to be hauled.

This order is carried out by colonists assigned to haul in the work menu.

Analysis

Hauling interacts with a large portion of the mechanics of RimWorld. Effecctive optimising haul times is key way to prevent wasting of pawn time. Keep production and storage locations central to where the items are used.

In combat, debris can be used as cover, thus aiding colonists in defense.