Dirty Business Distribution Guide — July 2026 | Dirty Business Wiki

Distribution is how finished goods become money and reputation in Dirty Business. You can craft perfect product all day, but without channels to buyers, crates sit in secure storage while orders expire. This guide maps every distribution layer in full Early Access — from first elevator delivery runs through street dealers, front companies, and the cartel airstrip — and explains how channels interact with production lines.

Distribution Stack Overview

Think of distribution as stacked channels unlocked over time:

Channel	EA availability	Best for
Elevator + garage	Core / demo	Tutorial deliveries, mid orders
Street dealers	Full EA	Steady retail offload, heat tradeoff
Front companies	Full EA	Laundering counterfeits and high volume
Cartel airstrip	Full EA	Bulk contracts, late-game logistics

Demo players master elevator and garage flow only — still essential before EA channels appear.

From Storage to Outbound

Universal steps:

1. Package product on production floor
2. Move to secure or outbound staging
3. Select channel matching order type
4. Confirm delivery window via complete orders
5. Dispose delivery-related waste immediately

Breakdowns at step three look like production failures but are distribution failures — revisit base building if staging sits three elevators away from packaging.

Underground Garage Role

The underground garage bridges vertical base levels and street exits. Vehicle bay capacity and crate loading speed matter when orders spike. Deep dive: elevator delivery.

Garage upgrades from base upgrades should precede aggressive weapons or LSD scaling — both flood staging with high-value crates.

Street Dealers

Street dealers (full EA) move smaller units to surface customers — excellent for shedding weed strains overflow when order board is quiet. Visibility increases heat; pair with security upgrades and evidence disposal.

Dealer networks reward consistent supply. Feeding dealers erratically wastes setup time — schedule production blocks like mini orders.

Front Companies

Front companies launder illicit revenue into operable balances, pairing with counterfeiting and mixed product portfolios. They are not a replacement for physical delivery on timed contracts — they modulate long-term books while elevators handle deadlines.

Unlock fronts after basic laundering loops make sense in your save — usually mid EA with two production lines running.

Cartel Airstrip

The cartel airstrip handles bulk shipments for trusted buyers — endgame distribution for players with disposal IV, secure storage III, and multiple production tier list S-tier lines.

Failed airstrip timing penalties exceed elevator misses — only schedule when garage throughput is proven.

Channel Selection by Product

Product	Primary channel	Secondary
Weed	Dealers + elevator	Airstrip bulk mid strains
Weapons	Elevator secure	Airstrip high tier
Counterfeit	Front + dealers	Elevator timed
LSD	Elevator secure	Airstrip premium

Adjust for co-op — dedicated runner per channel beats everyone piling elevator A.

Heat and Visibility Tradeoffs

Surface channels increase scrutiny. Scale dealers before disposal is ready and trash events compound. Read evidence disposal alongside every new channel unlock.

Security upgrades from upgrades reduce raid severity when distribution goes loud.

Co-op Logistics

Split roles: producer, stager, runner, order clerk. Co-op shines when distribution is owned by someone not running lathes or grow timers.

Linking to Guides and Tools

Beginner guide introduces first elevator delivery. Walkthrough missions may gate channel unlocks. Tools may add route timing calculators as community verifies patch data.

Controls on Delivery Day

Loading crates uses interact-heavy controls. Rebind for less mis-drop frustration in keybinds. Missing crate prompts often mean wrong staging zone — troubleshooting before blaming bugs.

Updates and Meta Shifts

Channel payouts and heat formulas may change — updates is mandatory reading before switching entirely to dealer-focused meta.

Distribution completes the criminal loop: production creates value, base infrastructure stores it, distribution realizes it. Master elevator first, add surface and air layers when upgrades and disposal prove ready.