Crimson Caravan

"Trade routes, my friend. Trade routes."

Crimson Caravan is one of the three major trading companies of the Hub, and later of the whole New California Republic specializing in high-risk jobs, such as water deliveries to Necropolis or Adytum, both through dangerous territories. They were considered to be insane by other merchants, but the pay was high (600 caps for a caravan guard) and they always made it to their target.

2161
In 2161 they were headed by Demetre Romara, with his daughter Keri working the schedules (and caravaneers from time to time). Their travel destinations included Junktown, Boneyard, Necropolis and Brotherhood of Steel.

2253
As of 2253, Alice McLafferty is the owner and operator of the Crimson Caravan Company. She takes her job seriously and rules the company with almost military strictness, but far more efficiently than the military. She saw the order to accompany Governor Joseph Dodge to Hoover Dam as an opportunity to expand her caravan empire. She puts on a great show of support for Dodge and his efforts, but she secretly wants to see him fall flat on his face. When he does, she will seize the opportunity to take over Hoover and shape it into a town that would be the envy of the wasteland.

According to dialogue files from Van Buren, Crimson Caravan thugs seized the Grand Canyon aerial tram.

2281
Crimson Caravan also operates in New Vegas. Ringo is one of their traders. At the onset of arriving in New Vegas the courier will discover that the Mojave Crimson Caravan has been in financial trouble due to the large cost of protecting caravans from raiders and the need to break caravans into smaller groups in order to protect the valuable merchandise. In order to bring the Mojave Crimson back to financial stability, Alice McLafferty made the decision to aid the New Vegas Crimson Caravan in person. Adjacent to New Vegas the Crimson Caravan has built a rather large self sustaining encampment/camp firmly rooted showing the other caravan companies that the crimson caravan is not going anywhere. Meanwhile in secret the Crimson Caravan has made an alliance with the Van Graff's to forcibly remove any competition that threatens or may threaten either's established business. The agreement between the Alice and the Van Graffs is that the Van Graffs keep raiding and eliminating the Cassidy Caravans (a local competitor to the Crimson Caravan), and in return Alice helps the Van Graffs by weakening the Gun Runners (competitior to the Van Graffs, both them and the Gun Runners are popular weapon traders in the area). During the quest acquired from Cass, the courier discovers the plot and finds the proof of this secret "alliance" in a Letter to Gloria.

Behind The Scenes
"Crimson Caravan" might come from Black Sabbath's song Planet Caravan:

"And so, We pass on by, The crimson eye, Of great god Mars, As we travel... The universe..."

Mars signifying war.