Ares
Introduction
One of the many legal runs that you can do on the island of Altis is sand mining. Sand can be found in the ground and can be processed into and sold as glass and is one of the first recommended runs for intermediate players as its payout is viable enough for small to medium scale operations that can be increased with possession of a Worker's Protection License.
Starting the Run
Before you begin, it is a good idea to check the market value of glass using the market tab on your “Y” menu to make sure nobody has sold sand recently to maximize your profits. It is also recommended to stop by the DMV and purchase a “sand processing license” as it’s a prerequisite for processing the sand into a glass for sale. It is also necessary to take a pickaxe, which can be purchased at any market or gas station, as well as 3 items of food and water to sustain yourself for the duration of the run. You will begin this run just west of Neochori at the truck shop. From there you will go directly up the coast to the east where you will eventually find the sand mine. You will want to steer clear of the chop shop as being caught near there will only prove convenient to the rebel who relieves you of your vehicle. The view of the ocean is amazing from here, but you will be extremely vulnerable as there is little to no nearby cover near the harvesting area except for some rocks that rest in between the ocean and the mine. You will be able to begin harvesting once you are near the icon that is displayed on the map by using your windows key to harvest. Moving around while harvesting will increase pick-up speed and just might throw off any would-be sharpshooters. Once you have collected the desired amount you will head west towards the Sand Processing icon displayed on the map.
Processing
When you arrive at the processor you will notice a blue building where the processing NPC is located. There are a few buildings around the compound that will need to be checked to find any potential robbers that might be lurking. You can process sand by filling your inventory with the unprocessed product and using your scroll wheel to activate the menu on the processing machinery. Once you are done you will want to quickly travel directly southeast to the glass trader. You may also choose to process an entire vehicle full of raw materials into processed items. Players can select to process from a selected vehicle but multiple players may not process from the same vehicle. Players and vehicles must remain within 25m of the NPC in order for processing to be complete. The time taken to process the inventory of the vehicle will be displayed and canceling processing will process all items up until the point of cancellation. Buffs gained from processing will also apply to the rate at which the vehicle is processed as well.
Selling
Once you arrive at the trader you will want to sell quickly. There is little to no cover in the surrounding area and the building itself appears to still be under construction leaving many exposed sides and areas. You can sell quickly by interacting with the trader with your scroll wheel to summon the menu and then double-click the item you wish to sell to sell it by the stack rather than typing in how many you have. Once you are done selling you will want to deposit as quickly as you can in the ATM in the center of town.
Payout
Using a box truck with no storage upgrades and a bergen backpack (210 glass) will yield a payout of $418, 530 (WPL: $481,310)
Run Time
Using a box truck with no storage upgrades, bergen backpack, and T4 turbo this run will take 21 minutes and 30 seconds. With a Worker’s Protection License an estimated 17-20 minutes