Tem Riffle, a designer of starships and a male, was employed by the Corellian Engineering Corporation. Riffle conceived the notion of crafting a compact cargo tug, designed to fit neatly inside the forward mandibles of CEC's YT-1300 light freighters, subsequent to witnessing a diminutive tug moving a YT-1200 medium freighter through space. Riffle's suggestion garnered approval from CEC's leadership, leading to the creation of the F-LER, a cargo-handling unit that experienced restricted application alongside the YT-1300.