Logistics upgrades — and speed now wins contracts
Six new Distribution Center upgrades cut fuel burn, speed up hauls, and add delivery capacity — and carrier auto-selection now weighs delivery time, not just price.
Distribution Centers get their own upgrade catalogue — three effects, each in a Small and a Large flavour, installed into your DC's upgrade slots like any other building upgrade (equipment is on the exchanges now):
- Fuel efficiency — Eco-Driving Module (−8%) and Fleet Hybrid Retrofit (−20%) shrink the litres every haul burns. Your costs drop, and so does the fuel surcharge your customers pay.
- Delivery speed — Dispatch Software Suite (+10%) and Automated Sorting Hub (+25%) shorten haul times, including live ETAs on shipments already on the road the moment the upgrade activates.
- Delivery capacity — Dock Scheduling System (+15%) and Cross-Docking Bay (+40%) add concurrent van-loads per depot without building new depots.
And speed now pays twice: carrier auto-selection ranks quotes by value, not just price — a slower carrier competes as if it cost more (25% penalty weight per multiple of the fastest time), so a quick, well-upgraded fleet wins hauls it would previously lose on sticker price. When you pick a carrier by hand, every quote shows the estimated delivery time right next to the total.