¶ Summary
¶ Skills
Typically, Freighter pilots are moving cargo from place to place in order to make money, in one way or another. Keep costs down is vital, decreasing fuel requirements and increasing the jump range can reduce costs substantially over the long run. Train Jump Drive Calibration and Jump Fuel Conservation to at least IV, though preferably V as soon as possible, reducing the number of Cynosural Fields you need to move between two locations and cutting back on the amount of ISK you need to spend on fuel. The Jump Freighters skill further improves on fuel economy, so train that as far as you can.
Though the Ark only needs level IV of this skill to be piloted, highly consider taking Amarr Freighter to V as soon as possible. This will both boost the cargo capacity of the ship, reducing the number of trips needed to transport goods, as well as improving the ships inertia allowing you to travel between stargates faster.
¶ Tactics
As is typical for freighters, it is important for an Ark pilot to stay vigilant and ensure they spend as little time as possible in areas they can be attacked. Consider bringing allies or your own alts with you, with Stasis Webifiers on their ships. If you are heavily webbed once you've built up a small amount of speed towards your alignment, your new maximum speed will be lower than your current speed, and you will be able to enter warp far sooner than usual.
When placing a Cynosural Field near a station to immediately dock, take care not to place the beacon too close to the station. If your freighter jumps through and lands inside the station, they will be flung away at several hundred meters/second, and you will end up in an even more dangerous situation than if you had placed your beacon in empty space.