Drawer Freight
Drawer freight is a method of long-distance transport for synthetics in human society. Synths, unlike humans, are able to enter long-term sleep mode to conserve resources, and thus are able to be shipped to their destination like regular cargo. The method is named as such because of the physical flat “drawers” used to store a synth chassis in shipping containers.
There are strict safety and chain of custody requirements to identify shipments containing a living person. Though the practice is almost universally legal, many synths are not comfortable using the method due to claustrophobia, or the perceived risk of being lost or kidnapped and awakening trapped in a transport container. Passenger freight is available for both international and interplanetary travel.
Prices
Prices are dimension and weight dependent on one’s chassis, as opposed to passenger tickets on standard transport services, which are generally fixed.
Safety
Safety and security when being transported by drawer has always historically been a concern. Transport companies aimed to counter these fears by implementing safety features for drawers, including GPS trackers, perimeter alarms, an internal emergency button to alert staff in the case of entrapment. Later, the most common synth frames were developed to be “Drawer Ready”, incorporating internal security systems to allow drawer transportation without the need for additional infrastructure on the drawer itself, which removed the need to trust the transport company with one’s own physical security.