The Essential Guide to Force Exile/CargoMax transport

Description
The CargoMax transport was a large general-purpose repulsorlift transport used by the Yanibar Guard for many years. The vehicle was sized with a large enough cargo hold to accommodate its own engine and generator module, which was the largest size component the Yanibar Guard anticipated would needed to be hauled long distances. Modified versions of commercial speeders were used for smaller loads, but the CargoMax was used for all moderate to large loads carried by the Yanibar Guard. The modular prefabricated cargo pallets often carried by the CargoMax could be converted into shelters or office spaces, which made them useful when setting up moderate-endurance positions. Broadly used, but ugly and unglamorous, the CargoMax was a sturdy workhorse for the Yanibar Guard for decades.

The CargoMax was crewed by a single driver and was designed to be so simplistic to operate than only twenty hours of additional training were needed to man one. The biggest hurdle to driving one was understanding its ungainly handling characteristics and limited clearances. The vehicle was only armored around the crew cabin and the engines and was completely unarmed, relying on other vehicles for protection. In some areas where force protection was deemed unnecessary but crews still believed there was danger, JRF fire support droids would be deployed on the bulky transports to provide fire support.

In accordance with its simplistic, rugged design ethos, the CargoMax had only basic navigational and weather sensors. However, its suite did include a diagnostic that provided load balancing information. A robust drive train with redundant linkages kept the transport moving even when some parts broke down. Though the speeders could move fairly quickly when lightly-loaded, balance concerns caused Kraechar Arms to throttle the speed to one hundred kilometers per hour maximum. Each CargoMax transport could haul 80 tons of cargo. Additionally, the vehicles could be used to either tow or transport any vehicle in the Yanibar Guard Army’s arsenal.

History
The CargoMax transport was first designed in 13 BBY as the Yanibar Guard Army expanded rapidly. Basic and utilitarian, it entered service to little fanfare. The transport needed to be reliable above all else due to Yanibar’s harsh climate and rugged weather. The vehicle, a derivative of a Baktoid Armor Workshop design hailing from the Clone Wars, differed from its progenitors by having the power source near the front. This allowed the aft compartment to be used as flatbed space for hauling the largest payloads.

The CargoMax was allocated down to the company level, with each company receiving two. They were fielded in every formation of the Yanibar Guard Army, including at the brigade and support battalion level. In 8 BBY, the chassis was used as the basis for the ScorpTail IFV and again in 5 BBY for the Mauler heavy tank. The frame’s rugged reliability made it a popular hullform among both the troops and Kraechar Arms designers. By 2 ABY, over 1200 CargoMaxes had been produced.

The CargoMax saw little updates through the years. In 10 ABY, its navigational sensors were replaced, a better datalink was added to communicate with other platforms, and a mine-detection suite was retrofitted. In 24 ABY, their repulsorlift engines were replaced with newer models, increasing cargo capacity by 8 tons. In general, the Yanibar Guard preferred to invest its credits elsewhere, so the CargoMax received relatively few upgrades or overhauls.

While frequently used, the CargoMax saw little combat during its operational history. They were deployed offworld occasionally, often from Discblade transports. The transport was used on Rishi during the Yuuzhan Vong War, particularly during the evacuation of Junro. One was lost and another severely damaged during a Yuuzhan Vong coralskipper attack on the convoy.

While fielded numbers of CargoMaxes dipped slightly from 1236 in 6 ABY to 1184 in 30 ABY, it was the only early-generation vehicle of the Yanibar Guard to still be in service in 38 ABY when the Yanibar refuge departed for Atlaradis.

Behind the scenes
The CargoMax was designed as a general-purpose, heavy cargo transport for the Yanibar Guard. Its modular bay and rugged reliability were its main points of emphasis. The name was created due to a requirement for any payload the Yanibar Guard Army needed hauled to be transported by the vehicle.

Appearances

 * Yanibar Guard Sourcebook