ON an online digital freight platform, a truck driver can find suitable freight orders in a few minutes, enabling his truck to head for the next destination without being empty.

“This platform is like a freight-version taxi-hailing app,” said Chai Shuman, an official with iron and steel firm Rockcheck Group. It uses machine learning, automation and other software services to connect shippers and carriers.

The platform’s business covers 30 provinces, regions and cities. Its “intelligent dispatching” function means carriers can avoid driving between locations with empty loads, Chai said. Being able to match any truck to any shipment creates a more efficient network with lower market transaction costs.

Since developed by Rockcheck in 2018, the platform has seen 172,000 vehicles registered and a total shipment volume of 82 million tons.

The platform’s progress reflects the rapid growth of China’s digital freight sector under the tide of informationization.

In 2022, China’s highway freight was about 5 trillion yuan (US$725 billion), of which the digital freight transport is about 700 billion yuan. China had 2,537 network freight firms (including branches) by the end of 2022. A total of 94.01 million waybills were uploaded throughout the year, up 36% year on year, according to a report on China’s digital freight development.

“In recent years, the market scale of digital freight platforms has rapidly grown with its economic and social benefits appearing. Its business model has also gradually differentiated,” said Zhou Zhicheng, an official with the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

A leading firm in the logistics industry, Full Truck Alliance has given full play to its advantages of “platformization,” digitalization and networking to reduce costs, increase efficiency and improve carrying capacity with the big data of freight transport.

“Digital freight transport shows prominent advantages,” said Kong Qingfeng, an official with Full Truck Alliance. It can realize the process of freight settlement and contract signing online and also narrow the distance between firms and drivers.

The report shows that online freight platforms can boost vehicle use efficiency 50%, increase drivers’ monthly income 30-40% and cut transaction costs 6-8%.

“The time for drivers receiving waybills has reduced from three or four days to several hours or even minutes,” Kong said.

The carbon emissions from road transport in China account for more than 80% of that in the whole transportation field, of which the carbon emissions from freight transport account for more than 60%. The reduction of the empty-load rate plays a key role in saving energy and reducing carbon emissions, according to the report. (Xinhua)