Chinese Truck Drivers
According to data from China's Ministry of Transport, there were 17.28 million truck drivers in the industry in 2020, handling 74% of total freight volume and 31% of ton-kilometers.
Truck drivers avoid hauling steel products—saying "better to die poor than haul pipes" and "starve to death than haul coils"—because steel pipes, rebar, and steel coils are hard to secure, extremely heavy, and can pierce or crush the cabin due to inertia during emergency braking, nearly always killing the driver.
They refuse to haul "green channel" cargo, which refers to fruits, vegetables, and fresh goods. These items face strict quality inspections, spoil easily, and require tight timelines. For a 2,000-kilometer trip, drivers must arrive within 32 hours; a one-hour delay meant a 500 yuan fine (2019). For trips over 1,870 kilometers at 75 km/h, the time limit is 23 hours and 50 minutes—being even one minute late incurs a 2 yuan fine (2022).
By the end of 2022, over 2,500 online freight platforms operated nationwide. Yet 43.75% of truck drivers had accepted shipments below cost—taking any load just to cover their loan payments. Half of these owners were still paying off vehicle loans, and most also carried mortgage debt. Some 76.21% worked eight or more hours daily, with 28.45% working 12+ hours. Meanwhile, 20% of truck drivers lacked insurance coverage. If a driver borrowed 300,000 yuan for a new truck, monthly payments exceeded 10,000 yuan. Missing just two payments could spiral the debt to 350,000 yuan with compounded interest and penalties, reaching 450,000 yuan within two years.