The Institute for Employment and Welfare Studies, based in the School of Labor and Human Resources, recently released a report that systematically analyzes the basic conditions, operational and income status of truck drivers, as well as the positive role of digital freight platforms in increasing truck driver income and improving transportation efficiency. The report also proposes several recommendations.

The report recommends optimizing platform technology to improve resource allocation mechanisms, enhance transportation efficiency and safety, and reduce operational costs for truck drivers. It also emphasizes the importance of focusing on truck drivers' labor income and rights protection. By building communication communities for truck drivers and promoting experience sharing and mutual assistance among drivers, the report aims to enhance truck drivers' professional skills and promote the healthy, sustainable, and high-quality development of the freight logistics industry.

Firstly, the report presents the basic conditions of the truck driver group. Data shows that the majority of truck drivers are young to middle-aged men with a relatively low level of education, mainly having high school education or below. They primarily drive medium to large diesel trucks, most of which are purchased through loans. About half of the drivers are engaged in long-distance interprovincial transportation. Nearly half of the drivers have been in the profession for 3-10 years, with many transitioning from traditional industries to become truck drivers.

Secondly, the report provides a detailed analysis of the operational and income status of truck drivers. The study concludes that the overall income level of truck drivers is relatively high among blue-collar workers. Various factors, including driver age, education level, vehicle purchase method, vehicle type, transportation distance, mileage, working hours, and platform usage, significantly affect truck driver income. Additionally, truck drivers generally have high labor intensity, with long driving distances and working hours, and few opportunities for voluntary rest. There is room to further reduce the number of days without cargo and empty driving times. Most drivers do not have stable offline cargo sources, especially city or short-distance drivers who heavily rely on digital freight platforms.

Finally, the report reveals the positive impact of digital freight platforms on driver employment, income enhancement, and operational efficiency. Digital freight platforms effectively facilitate information matching, allowing drivers to quickly obtain orders by displaying a large amount of cargo information and providing efficient order allocation mechanisms. This reduces the phenomena of 'three empties' (empty trucks, empty loads, and empty miles), thereby increasing vehicle load rates and transportation efficiency. Additionally, platforms offer a range of security services to ensure transaction safety and improve service quality, further enhancing the employment environment for drivers and increasing confidence and security in platform transactions for both drivers and cargo owners.

Based on the above analysis, the report makes the following recommendations:

Optimize Resource Allocation Mechanisms: Platforms should optimize resource allocation mechanisms using big data and artificial intelligence to strengthen demand and supply forecasting, improve cargo-to-truck matching, reduce the 'three empties,' and enhance the efficiency of the logistics network.

Focus on Labor Income and Rights Protection: Platforms should continue to focus on truck drivers' labor income and rights protection by establishing a more comprehensive risk assessment and management system, regularly sharing 'platform rights protection practice' cases, and encouraging drivers to use the diverse protection services provided by the platform to improve employment quality and income levels.

Build Online Driver Communities: Platforms can build professional online communities for drivers to promote experience sharing and mutual assistance, improving drivers' business skills and service capabilities, and fostering a healthier, more sustainable, and high-quality development of the freight logistics industry.