How much should a budding trader make per run?

[Wisty]

I have been dabbling in trading once more after bounty hunting.
I got a type 6 transport with about 60 tons of cargo space (would be higher but I don't know where to find bigger cargo racks). Right now I am mostly just using thrudd's trading tool to find easy trade runs. Been running a route that is about 8 jumps over 30Ly. A better fsd might reduce the number of jumps, but i'm not really sure it will do that, and the fsd I would need to actually increase my jump range costs around 500-600k credits, so I am hesitant to make such a purchase without being sure of how it will benefit me. The trip is making me around 80-90k profit both ways. I'm honestly not sure if I am getting as much as I could.

I would likely make that much money in just a few minutes from bounty hunting, and with much less risk too since bounty hunting doesn't require investments of hundreds of thousands of credits that could simply disappear if I run into danger. The worst I have to worry about while bounty hunting is a comparatively infinitesimal insurance fee of 30k.

It may just be inexperience, but it seems like the economy in ED is severely imbalanced making most activities being a waste of time.

 

[TheBambi]

try to max out the hull space and buy the best fsd thats really what makes you the money.

 

[GJ51]

What you need is something closer to this:

http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60W,,2-5K6u6Q3m5U3m6k,08c08c0720727Q403w03w

8 jumps to go 30 LY isn't where you want to be. If you get close to 20 LY jump capability, or even anywhere above 15, you should be able to find a route that you can do in one jump that can generate between 2 - 2.8k per ton on a round trip that only takes about 10 mins.

6 round trips per hour times 2k per T x 100T =1.2Mil per hour. At 2.5k you'll generate 1.5 Mil per hour.

Trading is all about finding a decent 1 or at most 2 jump routes that generate over 2k per ton on a round trip. Then you want to get into a rhythm where you can do 5 or 6 trips per hour.

 

[Lord_Itchybum]

As soon as you can upgrade the FSD as mentioned above. It will drastically cut down on the time it takes for your trade runs and that means they become far more profitable per hour.
To upgrade your cargo racks use the galaxy map to filter only high tech systems. They will give you the best chance of getting the upgrades you need.
I have a T6 and can carry 104 tons and have around 20LY jump range fully laden as all my other components are D rated.

 

[Wisty]

What you need is something closer to this:

http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60W,,2-5K6u6Q3m5U3m6k,08c08c0720727Q403w03w

8 jumps to go 30 LY isn't where you want to be. If you get close to 20 LY jump capability, or even anywhere above 15, you should be able to find a route that you can do in one jump that can generate between 2 - 2.8k per ton on a round trip that only takes about 10 mins.

6 round trips per hour times 2k per T x 100T =1.2Mil per hour. At 2.5k you'll generate 1.5 Mil per hour.

Trading is all about finding a decent 1 or at most 2 jump routes that generate over 2k per ton on a round trip. Then you want to get into a rhythm where you can do 5 or 6 trips per hour.

Do you have any advice on finding a trade route worth that much? The best ones I can find are only worth little over 1k per ton

As soon as you can upgrade the FSD as mentioned above. It will drastically cut down on the time it takes for your trade runs and that means they become far more profitable per hour.
To upgrade your cargo racks use the galaxy map to filter only high tech systems. They will give you the best chance of getting the upgrades you need.
I have a T6 and can carry 104 tons and have around 20LY jump range fully laden as all my other components are D rated.

I did check one high tech system (kokojina). I didn't find any larger cargo racks. I am not very patient when it comes to searching for ship upgrades.

 

[Jpotter]

I'd keep browsing for a route - I recently found a route where I was banking 100K each way (so 200K round-trip) and was 4 jumps; two out, two back. Keep in mind I had maxed out my T-6 racks and could bank the max 112T. Was trading Imperial Slaves from a High Tech to a refinery system for Gold/Palladium and back. Seems to be a good route if you can find those systems close. But, TBH - it's the best route I have found to date. Just saying, you may be able to find better.

 

[LordFjord]

8 jumps for 30ly? Did you check the "fastest route" option when planning the jumps? 8 jumps sound as if you used the fuel-optimized route, which takes the shortest possible jumps.

 

[Scallop]

About 1k per ton is the best I've found. 1k one way and 1.6k the other. I sent ya a pm with the details. You should be able to find better cargo racks at one end too. Good luck and safe travels!

 

[Troa Barton]

What you need is something closer to this:

http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60W,,2-5K6u6Q3m5U3m6k,08c08c0720727Q403w03w

8 jumps to go 30 LY isn't where you want to be. If you get close to 20 LY jump capability, or even anywhere above 15, you should be able to find a route that you can do in one jump that can generate between 2 - 2.8k per ton on a round trip that only takes about 10 mins.

6 round trips per hour times 2k per T x 100T =1.2Mil per hour. At 2.5k you'll generate 1.5 Mil per hour.

Trading is all about finding a decent 1 or at most 2 jump routes that generate over 2k per ton on a round trip. Then you want to get into a rhythm where you can do 5 or 6 trips per hour.

This is a good build to get you started but here is what it looks like when you have the money for everything
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60W,mpU0_g0_g0-8,2-3I6u6Q3m5K3m6k,08c08c0720727Q403w03w
i really wouldn't invest too much more in a type 6.
as far as finding a route? I wouldn't know one for a type 6 involving outposts since I don't trade at them. But that's only because of the size of my ships. If you find a good one you can make more than you would at a station, like rares they are a way for smaller ships to pay for their upgrades.
however I would honestly look into rare trading instead while you're in a Type 6 with a build like this
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60W,,2-3I6u6Q3m5K3m6k,08c08c0724-O7Q403w03w
do that until you have enough for an asp and switch over to that.
once you have enough for a type 7 then switch over to regular commodities. Until then you will make a lot more money selling rares.
do what you can afford with the builds above. You don't need the best and you will make more with a bigger trading ship than an A grade lower tier ship.
when you go to upgrade sell everything off your ship and downgrade everything you can to the cheapest parts before you sell your old ship.

heres a link to get you started finding rares
http://eliteraretrader.co.uk
good luck commander.