Reminds me of the first time I upgraded from the Sidewinder. I had just bought a Hauler and spent the rest of my cash buying the most expensive commodity I could find for a quick sale two systems away. Well, I was so excited that I pressed the boost key instead of the vertical thrust key on take-off. You can imagine what happened. Back to the Sidewinder.
A few hours of trading later, I had once again made enough money to buy another Hauler. Again, I used whatever I had left to stock up on the most expensive commodity I could trade. No pancaking inside the station this time but I maxed out engine power as soon as I left the station, and locked and engaged hyperdrive before aligning with my destination. Took me a minute to find the right direction and I wasn't paying attention to the temperature. As soon as I arrived at the next star, the Hauler overheated and exploded.
After that, I actually took the time to write down a pre-flight check and make a point of reading it before I take off with anything valuable on board. Oh, and I always keep money for insurance.
Thing is, it's no big deal really. With a Hauler you can make enough money to buy a decent ship within a couple of hours.
