Components
- 28-card deck
- 8 Refuel Tokens, 2 per player
- Score pad
The Deck
Use these cards from a standard deck:
- Hearts: 2–8
- Diamonds: 3–9
- Spades: 4–10
- Clubs: 5–J
Jack = 11.
Setup
- Choose a Dealer randomly or however the table prefers.
- Give each player 2 Refuel Tokens.
- Shuffle all 28 cards.
- Deal 7 cards to each player.
Each player has four trailer storage slots: Hearts | Diamonds | Spades | Clubs.
All trailers, scores, discarded cards, and remaining Refuel Tokens are public information.
Game Structure
The game lasts 4 Hauls. Each Haul contains 7 Loads.
After each Haul:
- Score all trailers.
- Collect all cards, including discarded cards.
- Shuffle the full deck.
- Rotate the Dealer one seat left.
- Deal 7 new cards to each player.
Scores and unused Refuel Tokens carry over between Hauls.
Playing a Load
The player to the Dealer’s left leads the first Load of a Haul. After that, the player who finished highest in the previous Load leads.
Starting with the lead player and continuing clockwise, each player plays one card face-up. There is no requirement to follow suit.
Determine Finishing Order
Rank the four played cards from highest to lowest. Suit does not matter. If ranks tie, the card played earlier finishes higher.
Claim Cargo
Cards are claimed in reverse finishing order:
- Fourth place claims first.
- Third place claims.
- Second place claims.
- First place claims last.
Each player must claim one remaining card.
Loading Cargo
Your trailer has one storage slot for each suit. A slot may contain either:
- one card, or
- one Heavy Load.
When you claim a card, resolve it as follows.
Matching Rank
If the card matches the rank of cargo already on your trailer, you may add it to that cargo to form or enlarge a Heavy Load.
All cards in a Heavy Load must have:
- the same rank, and
- different suits.
When adding a new card, you may rearrange that Heavy Load in any order. Only the top card’s suit occupies a trailer slot. The finished stack must be legal: its exposed suit cannot already be occupied by another cargo.
Once arranged, the Heavy Load remains in that order until another matching-rank card is added.
Empty Suit Slot
If the claimed card’s own suit slot is empty, you may place it there by itself. If you could either add the card to matching cargo or place it in its empty suit slot, you choose.
Forced Replace
If you do not add the card to matching cargo and its suit slot is occupied, you must replace the cargo currently there. Discard the old cargo and place the newly claimed card in that slot.
If the old cargo is a Heavy Load, discard the entire stack. Discarded cards remain out of play until the next Haul.
Heavy Loads
A Heavy Load is two or more cards of the same rank stacked together. Only the top card determines which suit slot the Heavy Load occupies. Cards underneath do not occupy their printed suit slots.
Example: 8♠ → 8♥. This Heavy Load occupies only the Spades slot. The Hearts slot remains available.
If another matching 8 is later added, the player may rearrange the entire Heavy Load and choose any legal top card. A Heavy Load may contain up to four cards if all four suits of that rank exist in the deck.
Refuel Tokens
Each player receives 2 Refuel Tokens for the entire game. When a claimed card would cause a Forced Replace, you may spend one Refuel Token to discard the newly claimed card instead. Your trailer remains unchanged.
Refuel Tokens are not replenished between Hauls.
End of a Load
After everyone has claimed and loaded one card, the Load ends. The player who finished highest leads the next Load. Continue until all seven cards have been played.
Scoring a Haul
After the seventh Load, score every card remaining on your trailer. Add the rank values of all cards, including every card inside Heavy Loads. Jack = 11.
Record the total, then collect and reshuffle all cards for the next Haul.
End of the Game
After four Hauls, add each player’s four Haul scores. The highest total wins.
Tiebreakers
If tied:
- Most unused Refuel Tokens.
- Highest score in Haul 4.
- Shared victory.
Quick Reference
Each Load
- Everyone plays one card.
- Rank cards highest to lowest.
- Ties favor the earlier-played card.
- Claim cards in reverse finishing order.
- Everyone must claim one card.
- Load the claimed card.
- Highest finisher leads next.
Loading
- Matching rank? You may add it to that cargo and rebalance the Heavy Load.
- Suit slot empty? You may place it there by itself.
- Both possible? Choose either.
- Suit occupied? Forced Replace, or spend a Refuel Token.
Remember
- One exposed cargo per suit.
- Buried Heavy Load cards use no additional slots.
- Heavy Loads contain one rank only.
- Heavy Loads may only be rearranged when a new matching card is added.
- Replacing a Heavy Load’s exposed suit discards the entire stack.
- Discarded cards return next Haul.
- Refuel Tokens last the entire game.
- Every retained card scores.
- Four Hauls complete the game.