A Talarian freighter
In starship classification, freighters, cargo ships, cargo carriers, or cargo vessels were starship types designed to carry cargo, in much the same way transports carried passengers. A bulk freighter was a ship that carried bulk dry goods, comparable to how a tanker carried bulk liquid or gas goods.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual and the Star Trek Encyclopedia used the less common description "cargo carrier" for this class of starships.
The most noticeable feature of freighters were their large cargo bays. Furthermore, they were usually equipped with light armament to defend against pirates and oncoming asteroids.
One of Doctor Phlox's first assignments was examining a cargo ship orbiting Denobula, which had suffered an explosion with many casualties. (ENT: "Fight or Flight")
Some freighters used by the Federation during the 2260s were limited to warp 2. (TOS: "Friday's Child")
Also during the 23rd century, the Federation was known to operate several automated designs, including robot ore freighters and grain ships. These vessels were essentially flying cargo holds that possessed no life support systems. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer"; TAS: "More Tribbles, More Troubles")
Manned vessels, both of the 23rd and 24th centuries, were often used for transporting more valuable cargo, such as deuridium or dilithium crystals. (TAS: "The Pirates of Orion"; DS9: "The Passenger")
In 2286, Doctor McCoy believed he and the crew of the former USS Enterprise would be reduced to working a freighter, as punishment for violating Starfleet regulations, while in fact en route to the USS Enterprise-A. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
While discussing his service history with Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain Montgomery Scott noted that in his lifetime he had "served aboard eleven ships," including "freighters, cruisers, [and] starships." (TNG: "Relics")
Due to its proximity to the Cardassian Union and the Bajoran wormhole, many freighters docked at Deep Space 9. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Many times, these vessels travel in convoys, which sometimes allowed them to be more or less susceptible to alien attack. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy") In those cases, they may be accompanied by an escort.
In 2374, the USS Defiant assisted in escorting and protecting Convoy PQ-1 to the Vegan system during the Dominion War. (DS9: "Image in the Sand", "The Sound of Her Voice")
An unnamed merchant ship was mentioned in the script for "All Good Things...". In the anti-time present of 2370, a fleet of five Terrellian transport ships heard about "the Light" – a spatial anomaly in the Devolin system – and its power of healing the infirm and the elderly from this ship.
Freighters by race[]
- Akritirian cargo vessel
- Andorian freighters:
- Axanar cargo ship
- Bajoran cargo shuttle
- Bardeezan merchant ship
- Barolian freighter
- Bolian freighter
- Boslic freighter
- Cardassian freighters
- Coalition of Madena freighters
- Corvallen freighter
- Coverian freighter
- Earth cargo ships
- Federation freighters
- Ferengi cargo ship
- Galador freighter
- Golorian trading vessel
- Galipotan freighter
- Jelinian freighter
- Juhryan freighter
- Kartelan freighter
- Klingon freighter
- Kobheerian freighter
- Kressari freighter
- Lissepian cargo ship
- Malon export vessel
- Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient
- Malosian cargo shuttle
- Maquis freighter
- Mislenite freighter
- Nekrit freighter
- Orion freighter
- Ornaran freighter
- Pakled trade ship
- Retellian freighter
- Rigellian freighters:
- Subytt freighter
- Suliban freighter
- Trabalian freighter
- Talarian freighter
- Talavian freighter
- Talaxian freighter
- Tarkalean freighter
- Tellarite freighters:
- Terellian cargo freighter
- Tholian freighter
- Trabalian freighter
- Tygarian freighter
- Unknown
- Valerian freighter
- Vulcan freighter
- Yridian freighter
Freighters by name[]
- Named
- Antares
- Arcos
- Batris
- Baxial
- Bok'Nor
- Calondon
- Constellation, ECS
- Corsair
- Dierdre, SS
- Ekina
- Erstwhile
- Fortunate, ECS
- Horizon, ECS
- Huron, USS
- La Sirena
- Lalo, USS
- Merchantman
- Nanut
- Norkova
- North Star, ECS
- Odin
- Par'tok, IKS
- Rak-Miunis
- Salvoxia
- Sanction
- Stella
- Tezra
- Ticonderoga
- Woden
- Yorkshire
- SS Xhosa
- Unnamed
- NCC-G1465
- NCC-61465
- Morn's cargo ship
- Webb's cargo vessel
- Winston's trading vessel
- Unnamed cargo shuttles (alternate reality)
Freighter services[]
- Bajoran Ministry of Commerce
- Earth Cargo Service
- Merchant Marines
- Rigelian Trade Commission
- Tellarite Mining Consortium
- Vulcan National Merchant Fleet
| Starship types |
|---|
| attack vessel • attack fighter • battle cruiser • battleship • bird-of-prey • carrier vessel • colony ship • combat cruiser • corsair • corvette • cruiser • destroyer • diplomatic vessel • dreadnought • escort vessel • exploration vessel • flagship • freighter • frigate • garbage scow • geo-terraforming vessel • heavy cruiser • holding vessel • interceptor • light cruiser • medical ship • military vessel • mining vessel • patrol ship • pilot vessel • prison ship • raider • reconnaissance ship • robot ship • runabout • science vessel • scout ship • star cruiser • starliner • starship • supply ship • support ship • survey ship • tanker • timeship • trading vessel • training ship • transport ship • troop transport • tug • warbird • warship |
Appendices[]
See also[]
External links[]
- Freighter at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Cargo ship at Wikipedia