How to effectively utilize transports?

[OntologicalWeevil]

Should they be placed near my main warehouse? Or an area far off from my main so that it may deliver from there ti my main?

[Lantantan]

Hmm so raw resources delivered by colonies can get delivered straight into hauler stations near your workshops. So I haven't found a reason to put transports near any of my warehouses. I do however put a transport near any clusters of workshops, farms, woodcutters, fishers, mines. Again ideally raw resources get routed directly to haulers, army supplies directly into army depots. Rule of thumb: a any cluster of 50 workers of one type or more enjoy having a transport nearby, unless its slow high end like jewels. Haulers function more like tiny cheap warehouses for near workshops. Does that answer your question?

[Lantantan]

So here's my little logistics buildings guide:

Warehouse = Receiver, Storage:
Huge, central, mainly used to supply services like markets, stock food, store weapons for local militia, store overflow before selling. Receives shipments from colonies and transports. Nearby space most valuable to supply services and export so late game move workshops further away. Because of limited transporting slots, I recommend no more than 3 in total, so plan ahead.

Hauler = Receiver, Storage:
Small stockpiles of raw material inputs for workshops, 3x3 for raw materials or 2x1 for intermediate. Receives shipments from colonies and distant transports. Name is deceiving, not really used for hauling, mainly for receiving and stocking transport shipments.

Transport = Sender:
Primary way to move large volumes of materials like output of workshop clusters, farms, mines and raw imports. As a rule of thumb any group of 50+ workers needs one of these. Set shipment directly to workshop input haulers and overflow warehouse.

Army Depots:
Used to store huge amounts of rations, clothes, weaponry for world map soldiers, best filled directly from distant workshop transports because of the huge volumes involved.

Import Depots:
When used to import large amounts of cheap raw materials, likes to have transport nearby to ship to workshops. Typically placed near main warehouse.

Export Depots:
Doesn't need haulers or transports, just place near the throne and main warehouse to sell any overflow. Though you could in theory use place them near your workshops, I find keeping them in one place important for keeping track of and tweaking your exports.

Throne:
Why is the throne relevant to logistics? Because when your warehouses and haulers are full, further colony shipments get dropped on the ground near your throne. So it's important to place this near your main warehouse and your export depots, otherwise the quickly growing pile of clutter will be hard to deal with.

[OntologicalWeevil]

Originally posted by Lantantan:

So here's my little logistics buildings guide:

words

I'd love to see an example if it's no trouble.

[Garthimi playthrough] Right now, I've got, for example, a coal mine some distance away from my main. I've built a warehouse. It takes in a bit of food, ore, weapons, coal, stone and clay. There's houses and general amenities. This is, from what I've read, inefficient.

[Lantantan]

Originally posted by CremeCrimson:

[Garthimi playthrough] Right now, I've got, for example, a coal mine some distance away from my main. I've built a warehouse. It takes in a bit of food, ore, weapons, coal, stone and clay. There's houses and general amenities. This is, from what I've read, inefficient.

You're describing a distant mining outpost you're trying to supply? And you've build a warehouse near that distant mining outpost, yes? I would indeed put a second warehouse at this mining outpost to easily supply nearby amenities, especially the food markets.

It would be a bit painful for the workers in that distant warehouse to haul all the stuff from the main warehouse by foot. Fortunately all your workshops and pastures should already have a nearby transporter. Simply add your new warehouse to the list of push destinations for all your transports and you're done. Having warehouses grab resources on foot quickly requires 100 workers, compared to only 20 transporters. Even if the workshops are reasonably close, this gets inefficient fast.

Also put a transporter next to your coal mine and set it to push towards a hauler near your forges/bakeries/main warehouse.

Does that make sense? Did I understand your problem correctly?

[OntologicalWeevil]

Does transport location matter? Follow up, do I place haulers near raw resource output then transport it to workshops?

[Lantantan]

Originally posted by CremeCrimson:

Does transport location matter? Follow up, do I place haulers near raw resource output then transport it to workshops?

The transport station itself already employs haulers, who fill up a cart! That cart then travels to any destination anywhere you've set. Those destinations can be warehouses or hauler stations. Hauler stations are usually your destination. Transport station is placed next to the raw resources like mine or woodcutter. Hauler station is placed next to the workshop using the raw resource.

Transport = Collect from local area to sent away to hauler and warehouse.
Hauler = Receive transport, store and can also collect from local area.

So Transport-sender next to the coal mine. Hauler-receiver next to the forge. If the forge is not near the warehouse, the forge also gets a transporter to move the metal to the warehouse, or to the smith hauler-receivers.

Hope that makes sense, if not feel free to keep asking!

Edit: And you don't have to go overboard with hauler-receivers, if your workshops are near your warehouse you can just have your transport stations send to the warehouse.