On pages 136-137, the rules for Lift Hoists state that a unit carrying up to half its tonnage (above that allowed by internal cargo bays) takes no penalty to movement and only suffers -1 MP (which also affects its running/flank movement via recalculation) when carrying more than that.
On page 261 however, the "Cargo Carriers" rules inflict far more severe penalties: a unit carrying up to a quarter of its tonnage suffers -3 MP (or half, whichever is less, rounding down), and half movement for any load above that. Curiously, the "Cargo Carriers" rules reference lift hoists on page 136, but only in the context of loading or unloading cargo. Page 261 goes on to state (under "'Mech Lifting Capabilities") that 'mechs take NO penalty when carrying up to 10% of their weight (or 20% if they have active TSM).
The question here is: what penalties do units (both 'mechs and non-'mechs) with Lift Hoists take? Are they governed by pages 136-137, or 261?
A related question becomes: even if a particular cargo weighs less than 10% of a 'mech's weight, would it inflict a penalty if it's Battle Armor (with Mag Clamps or otherwise)? It would seem that 'mechs would most likely be able to carry a single suit without penalty (since they're almost universally less than 10% the weight of a 'mech), and that would also support IS BA using 4-suit squads (since a lance could carry them easily).
