35 year old female truck driver: earns 60000 yuan per month during peak season, and through hard work, has three children, two trucks, and a villa
Jiupai News reported that recently, the Research Report on Driver Employment and Income of Digital Freight Platform (hereinafter referred to as the report) released by the China Institute of Employment and People's Livelihood, Renmin University of China, showed that China's freight industry has undergone significant changes in freight structure, driver group structure, driver income and other aspects. Among them, the proportion of female truck drivers has increased.
The report points out that in terms of gender structure, truck drivers are mainly male, with a relatively low proportion of females, indicating significant gender differences. The proportion of male truck drivers is 99.03%. The characteristics of long hours of driving and heavy physical labor in freight work make women face more challenges when choosing to pursue this profession; For a long time, freight work has been seen as a male dominated field of work, and society generally believes that women are not suitable for such professions.
In terms of income, truck drivers are still at a relatively high level among blue collar workers. The report mentioned that the average monthly gross income of truck drivers is 20441 yuan. After deducting costs such as oil (electricity, gas) fees, highway fees, insurance, maintenance, and platform information technology service fees, the average monthly net income of truck drivers is 12063 yuan.
However, the higher income of truck drivers is usually earned through higher labor intensity. The report shows that over 70% of truck drivers work more than 8 hours a day, and nearly 40% of truck drivers work an average of 8 to 12 hours. A portion of truck drivers often voluntarily give up their rest, with the highest proportion of average monthly rest time of 1 day or less, reaching 31.23%.
In the traditionally male dominated field of road freight transportation, the presence of female truck drivers has always been relatively rare. However, data from the past two years shows that the number of female truck drivers is quietly increasing.
On August 20th, Jiupai News contacted female truck driver Fu Xiaoshun to tell her story of delivering goods. Fu Xiaoshun is 35 years old this year. At the age of 28, in order to make a living, she took the B2 driver's license exam and began her journey of driving to the ends of the world. She believes that as long as she is willing to strive, the splendor of life will never be absent.
The picture shows female truck driver Fu Xiaoshun. Image source: Image provided by the interviewee
The following is a conversation with Fu Xiaoshun.
【1】 A 'veteran driver' who has been driving for 7 years
Jiupai News: Can you introduce yourself?
Fu Xiaoshun: I am a female truck driver, 35 years old this year. I have been driving trucks for more than 7 years and can be considered an "old driver". I am currently driving a 16 meter long semi-trailer truck for express delivery, and the most frequently used routes are from Guangdong to Zhejiang.
Jiupai News: How many hours do you drive on average every day?
Fu Xiaoshun: Because I am an individual, the time is relatively flexible. For example, it takes 17 hours to drive from Shenzhen to Yiwu, which is over 1200 kilometers. There are usually two drivers, and my husband and I switch drivers every 4 hours.
Sending goods can run two laps, for example, sometimes the express delivery is loaded at night and departs at night or in the morning. If it departs in the morning, it can arrive in Zhejiang at night and then be loaded and transported back to Shenzhen the next night. Sometimes I take a two-day break after running two laps. If there is stock or good price, persist without rest and continue to sell. Because if we arrive in Zhejiang the night before and unload the goods before loading them, it will be the next night, and there will be nothing during the day, so it can be considered a rest.
Jiupai News: Are there any difficulties when learning to drive?
Fu Xiaoshun: I was quite scared when I first went to driving school because the car was really too long and big. But before learning, I also followed my husband's car and sat next to him to watch him drive. I am quite familiar with trucks, so I didn't find it difficult to learn. After practicing for almost two months, on April 28, 2017, I obtained a B certificate. Except for passing subject two once, I passed all other subjects once.
Less than a week after obtaining the certificate, on May 4th, I went to Dongguan to deliver the goods with my husband in the passenger seat. Although I am a novice on the road and there are many cars on the road, I drive steadily and feel that I have a natural talent for driving. From then on, I was full of confidence and embarked on the road of licensed driving for transportation. Less than a month after I obtained the certificate, we took out all our savings of 280000 yuan and paid the full amount to buy a 7-8 meter truck.
After buying the car, I followed it for three months and then began a life of "racing and driving". At that time, business was particularly good and stable. In about a year, we earned back the money we spent on buying the car. I finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt satisfied with running transportation.
35 year old female truck driver: earns 60000 yuan per month during peak season, and through hard work, has three children, two trucks, and a villa
The picture shows Fu Xiaoshun at work. Image source: Image provided by the interviewee
【2】 Encountered danger before, but had many kind-hearted people on the journey
Jiupai News: Have you ever encountered danger while driving?
Fu Xiaoshun: I remember May 17th, 2018 very clearly. At that time, I had been running for two days and two nights without sleeping. After delivering the goods at night, I immediately went to install grass and run a short distance.
At that time, I only thought about rushing to work and didn't think about parking my car on the roadside to sleep for a while. I thought I could get through it, but I fell asleep while driving. I drove my car to a rocky pier on the roadside and all the tires burst, which woke me up. Fortunately, the truck was relatively high and the person was safe; Fortunately, it was early morning and there was no one on the road.
At that time, the driver's door was flattened and the battery containing sulfuric acid water under the car was damaged. The car kept smoking, and I thought the car was about to catch fire. I quickly climbed up to the passenger seat, trembled as I opened the door, and then called my husband. After knowing that I was not injured, he asked me to quickly drive the car to the side of the road and not let the cars behind me rear end.
Afterwards, my husband brought someone over to handle it. At that time, the car was not fully insured, and the repair costs had to be covered by oneself, estimated to cost 40000 to 50000 yuan. Moreover, the car had been driven for several years, and at most, it could only be sold for this amount of money.
35 year old female truck driver: earns 60000 yuan per month during peak season, and through hard work, has three children, two trucks, and a villa
Fu Xiaoshun is driving a truck. Image source: Image provided by the interviewee
Jiupai News: Do you like this profession?
Fu Xiaoshun: I have been driving for seven years now. I can't say how much I like it, but I am quite used to it. Everyone thinks that driving a truck is a male job that requires long hours of driving and heavy physical labor. But as a woman, I am proud to be able to drive a truck well and support my family with my husband. I will continue to persevere.
Jiupai News: Did anything unforgettable happen while driving for delivery?
Fu Xiaoshun: One night, at the border between Jiangxi and Hunan, we were too tired, so we parked our car on the roadside to rest. The next morning when I got up and started driving, I couldn't start a fire no matter what. When my husband went down to take a look, the fuel cap had been pried open, and all the 5000 yuan fuel that had just been filled up had been stolen. I used to think that the oil theft incident was a story when I heard it from others, but only after it happened to me did I realize the dangers of the world.
But there are still many kind-hearted people. Sometimes, customers see me as a female driver and think it's not easy, so they give me a few hundred more transportation fees. Although it's not much, I am very grateful for the customer's kindness, which also gives me the motivation to continue working hard. Sometimes when I encounter other truck drivers, they give me a thumbs up and think female truck drivers are great.
Jiupai News: How is the income?
Fu Xiaoshun: Divided into off-season and peak season. It's currently the off-season, and if you keep running, after deducting expenses such as fuel and tolls, you can earn over 20000 yuan per month. Before and after the Chinese New Year, it is usually the peak season. Last year, I earned 60-70000 yuan in one month during the Chinese New Year. But the cost of driving a truck is also quite high. It costs 30000 yuan a year to buy insurance, and the expenses for repairing cars and changing tires are also quite high.
Through hard work, my husband and I have three children, two trucks, and a villa. Every long-distance trip takes several days, and we feel indebted to our children for not being able to spend enough time with them. It is gratifying that the children are all very sensible and supportive of us, which is my greatest comfort. Sometimes we bring our children to deliver goods together, as a family. Although it's a long and arduous journey, it's also very happy.
