Cargo Ship is a roaming loot event that circles the Rust map — clear it and you walk away rich. This guide covers when it spawns, the crates and scrap it carries, the locked-crate hack event, and how to take and hold the ship against other players. There’s a quick-facts table up top, then the strategy.
Cargo Ship quick facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Spawn frequency | Roughly every 2–4 hours (default settings) |
| Time on map | About 50 minutes, then it sails off |
| Announcement | Server-wide alert + the ship’s horn |
| Locked crate timer | 15 minutes to hack (global countdown) |
| Extra crates | A new locked crate every ~10 min (horn sounds) |
| How to board | Boat (RHIB ideal) or helicopter |
| Defenders | Patrolling scientists on every deck |
When it spawns
Cargo Ship spawns roughly every 2–4 hours on default settings and sails a route around the map’s edge for about 50 minutes before leaving. A server-wide alert and the ship’s horn announce it, so the whole server knows it’s here — expect company, and expect to fight for it. Modded servers often tune the frequency, so check yours.
The loot
A full Cargo run yields around five elite crates, ten military crates and a stack of basic crates — averaging close to 1,300 scrap plus high-tier components and weapons. The headline prize is the locked crate: press use to start a 15-minute global countdown, then defend it until it opens for elite loot on par with the best in the game. The hack timer is visible to everyone on the map, and shooting the computer on top of a crate increases the time, so rivals can stall your unlock. Additional locked crates appear roughly every 10 minutes while the ship is up, each announced by the horn.
How to take it
- Board with a boat — a RHIB is ideal; tie it off or keep someone with it so it isn’t stolen.
- Clear the scientists — they patrol the decks and hit hard; bring armour, a good gun and meds.
- Activate and hold the locked crate — the 15-minute timer turns it into a defend-the-point fight against NPCs and players.
- Mind the water — falling off without a plan to get back up usually means death.
Solo or team?
Cargo is doable solo if it’s uncontested, but it’s a PvP magnet — most successful runs are a small team that can fight off third-parties while one person works the crate. For the static water events, see our Oil Rig guide.
Frequently asked questions
How often does Cargo Ship spawn in Rust?
Roughly every 2–4 hours on default server settings. It stays on the map for about 50 minutes before sailing off, and both its arrival and each new locked crate are announced by a horn and a server-wide alert. Modded servers frequently change the spawn rate.
How long does the locked crate take to unlock?
15 minutes from when you press use to start the hack. The countdown is global, so everyone on the server sees it — and enemies can shoot the computer on the crate to add time and slow your unlock, so you need to hold the deck the whole way.
How much scrap is on Cargo Ship?
A clean full run averages close to 1,300 scrap across roughly five elite crates, ten military crates and the basic crates, plus high-tier components and weapons from the locked crate. It’s one of the most lucrative events in the game if you can hold it.
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