Contracts and Pallet Packing
Why contracts pay far more than dumping stock, how to pick the right order, and how to pack pallets so your shipments actually leave on time.
Contracts beat selling stock
The easiest way to bleed money in Ore Factory Squad is to haul finished goods to the open market and dump them. Contracts pay much more than spot sales: a higher base reward plus a performance bonus for hitting the quality and timing targets. Treat the Contract Board as your primary income, not a side activity.
Choose orders that match your lot
Every lot has a natural resource mix. Pick contracts whose required items you can actually produce:
- A claim rich in
limestoneshould take limestone-block and cement contracts. - A claim near
copperandironshould take metal-ingot contracts once the smelter is online. - Ignore orders that demand a material you cannot source yet — the penalty for a failed contract hurts more than the reward helps.
| Choice | Result |
|---|---|
| Order matches local resources | Steady, low-risk profit |
| Order needs imported material | Tight margin, missed deadlines |
| Order far above your license | Almost always fails |
Supply the exact product
Contracts ask for a specific finished item, not "ore." If the order wants copper ingots, shipping copper ore gets rejected. Build the full chain — mine, refine, form — before you accept, and stage the finished pallets near the loader so nothing is still cooking when the deadline hits.
Keep the output clear
Two problems sink otherwise-good shipments:
- Blocked output — a machine whose exit tile is covered by a pallet or another machine will stall and never fill the order.
- Overlapping pallets — two pallets on the same tile merge or jam, and the loader cannot grab a clean stack.
Walk your line before accepting a big order and make sure every output tile is free.
Pack and load like a pro
- Group identical items onto a single pallet; mixed pallets confuse the loader.
- Place loaded pallets on the front edge of storage, nearest the truck point.
- Load as soon as the stack is complete — do not wait for the contract clock if you are already done.
Budget for the metalworking leap
If your next contract tier needs ingots, plan the spend in advance. The numbers from the board:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Metalworking License #1 | $2,000 |
| Smelter | $1,500 |
| Total to go metallic | $3,500 |
That $3,500 is before you buy the lot, the drills, or keep any working capital. Save for it from early contracts rather than taking a loan you cannot service.
Performance bonuses
Most contracts add a bonus for:
- Delivering early (beat the soft deadline).
- Hitting the quality threshold (no contaminated or wrong items).
- Completing a streak of on-time orders.
Chain a few clean deliveries and the bonus alone can fund your next machine. Contracts are not just income — they are your upgrade plan.
Sources
- In-game observation (Ore Factory Squad, Contract Board)
- Community-verified payout comparisons from player discussions