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# Cargo Types

> The full enum of cargo types supported by chrt, what each one is for, and how cargo type drives courier qualification, handling, and rate-sheet matching.

Every cargo record on a chrt order has a **cargo type**. The type drives which
couriers and vehicles are qualified to carry it, what handling is required
(temperature, documentation, dangerous-goods protocol), and how the shipment is
priced through rate sheets. Choose the type when you add cargo in the draft
builder, or set it via the API on the `Cargo1` record.

## The full enum

These are the only values accepted by the API and the UI. They map one-to-one
to the `cargo_type` field on the `Cargo1` model.

| Category                 | Cargo type                | Use it for                                                                        |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Medical & healthcare** | `pharmaceuticals`         | Finished drug product, vaccines, IV bags, clinical-trial drug supply.             |
|                          | `medical_devices`         | Implants, durable medical equipment, surgical hardware.                           |
|                          | `medical_supplies`        | Consumable supplies — gauze, tubing, PPE, syringes.                               |
|                          | `lab_specimen`            | Diagnostic samples and biopsies (typically temperature-controlled).               |
|                          | `blood`                   | Blood and blood products. Cold-chain critical.                                    |
|                          | `organ`                   | Transplant organs. Time-critical, cold-chain critical.                            |
|                          | `tissue`                  | Tissue grafts, bone, cornea. Cold-chain.                                          |
| **Industrial**           | `manufacturing_equipment` | Heavy machinery, tooling, production-line hardware.                               |
|                          | `aircraft_parts`          | AOG (aircraft-on-ground) and routine spare parts for aviation.                    |
|                          | `spare_parts`             | General industrial replacement parts.                                             |
|                          | `electronics`             | Consumer or industrial electronics, semiconductors.                               |
| **Specialized**          | `hazardous_materials`     | DG/hazmat — classed dangerous goods requiring placards or documentation.          |
|                          | `chemicals`               | Industrial chemicals (may or may not be DG-classed).                              |
|                          | `perishable`              | Temperature-sensitive but not necessarily frozen — produce, food.                 |
|                          | `frozen`                  | Cargo that must stay frozen.                                                      |
|                          | `documents`               | Paperwork, legal originals, signed contracts.                                     |
| **General**              | `clothing`                | Apparel, textiles, soft goods.                                                    |
|                          | `other`                   | Anything that doesn't fit a more specific type.                                   |
|                          | `unspecified`             | Used in drafts when the cargo isn't known yet; fill in before submit if possible. |

## How cargo type is used

* **Courier qualification.** Rate sheets list which `cargo_types` they cover.
  When you assign a courier to a task group, chrt checks that their rate sheet
  covers the cargo on that group. A medical-only courier rate sheet won't
  match an order moving clothing.
* **Vehicle qualification.** Some rate sheets are also scoped to vehicle types
  (sedan, cargo van, box truck, etc.). The intersection of cargo type +
  vehicle type narrows the pool of qualified couriers.
* **Handling.** Temperature-sensitive types (`blood`, `organ`, `tissue`,
  `lab_specimen`, `pharmaceuticals`, `frozen`, `perishable`) typically pair
  with a chrt tracker for cold-chain monitoring.
* **Pricing.** Rate sheets can apply a per-instance surcharge for dangerous
  goods (`hazardous_materials`, `chemicals`) and can be scoped to specific
  cargo types so that, for example, an organ run prices differently from a
  documents run. See [Billing primitives](/docs/concepts/billing-primitives).

## When to use Other or Unspecified

If you do not yet know what is moving when you start the draft, choose
`unspecified` and fill in the concrete type before submission. Use `other`
when the cargo doesn't fit any more specific enum value. Both values are valid
in the API and the draft builder, but qualified couriers and rate-sheet
matches may be limited until a concrete type is set.

## Related guides

* [Orders, task groups, segments, stops](/docs/concepts/orders) — where cargo
  fits in the data model.
* [Billing primitives](/docs/concepts/billing-primitives) — how cargo type
  interacts with rate sheets and pricing.
* [Creating shipments](/shippers/creating-shipments) — setting cargo type
  during the draft builder flow.
* [Rate sheets (shippers)](/shippers/rate-sheets) — scoping a rate sheet to
  specific cargo types.
* [Trackers on orders](/trackers/on-orders) — attaching trackers to
  temperature-sensitive cargo.