Running a trucking business or new to the trucking industry? Or are you restarting your trucking business? Well, there have been groundbreaking escalations in the Indian Trucking business over the last couple of years especially related to the covid pandemic. If you want to know more about it then you are in the right place. In this article, we will talk about the positive impact of the pandemic on the most eminent transportation industry of India i.e, the truck industry.
“It has been tough, but there are more positive aspects to look upon. Our business has grown over the past 2 years and so has the daily wages of truck drivers, we are learning new things everyday”
-Says Tejender Gill, a proud truck fleet owner in Haryana.
Since the onset of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic the impact on the Indian Economy has been largely destructive in terms of economic activity and human life. It still continues to affect the day to day life of the people whether it is a big industrialist or a middle class man. Much focus has been towards the apprehension of catching the deadly virus, losing jobs, lesser job opportunities and many more. But what about the positives, why are we over-looking them?
Indian trucking is a major industry which is often overlooked in terms of its importance in our day to day lives. The trucking industry is not just an essential service but the backbone of the road services in India. The pandemic came as a blessing in disguise to the transportation sectors especially the trucking industry as business increased, employment opportunities increased and so did the daily and monthly wages of truck drivers and owners. 30 million people are directly employed by the trucking industry and more than 150 million people depend on it for their bread and butter, say industry estimates.
During the second wave when the entire nation faced an oxygen and concentrator shortage, it was the truckers who facilitated the transportation of the medical supplies and equipment. They were the reason that the shelves in the supermarket were stocked on a daily basis with the essential items. Due to the increase in shifts and workload for a larger period of time the employment opportunities also increased along with the daily wages of the truck drivers.
As covid hit the nation, E-commerce sales accelerated and online shopping simultaneously increased among the masses. It was reported that the average share of internet users who made online purchases increased from 53% to 60% following the onset of the pandemic (2020/21), across 66 countries which resulted in the increase of transportation via trucks. This pushed the Indian trucking industry to remake itself, putting more long- and short-haul trucks on the road including the opportunity to join fleets offering higher wages and shorter routes.
The sudden change gave truck drivers a good amount of time to take rest and spend that time with their families and loved ones. People around the world are now largely dependent on online shopping and a culture of immediacy has suddenly arisen and proven to be beneficial for the transportation sector especially trucks and last mile delivery personnel.
Due to the growth of transportation via trucks, the industry had to incorporate modern techniques and facilities in order to improve and also to cope up with the competition from big truck owning companies. Thanks to digital technologies such as cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), advanced analytics, and machine learning, these new techniques have come handy to the fleet owners not only during the pandemic but will also prove beneficial in the longer run.
New modernized trucking logistics and planning has helped in gaining the best results by selecting optimal fuel types in accordance to market trends, choosing the best trucks for that very particular task, and hiring an excellent staff of truck drivers.
A recent study has also shown that public sentiment towards the trucking industry grew towards the positive scale during COVID-19, the truck drivers were called the ‘unsung heroes’. The logistics service providers came under the category of ‘essential services’ in line with the government and healthcare services. Government also provided immediate facilities and compensation to the truck drivers who were active during the course of the pandemic especially during the lockdown.
The government is also expected to introduce a short-term insurance cover for truckers and helpers transporting essential goods. Industry associations have also been stepping up to feed stranded truckers and have launched helpline services. Although things may be uncertain as the covid pandemic is far from gone, one thing is for sure : the pandemic has helped to highlight the important role that the trucking industry has played in making sure that people have access to the most crucial supplies they need for survival.
References:
1. https://www.openpr.com/news/2024015/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-india-trucking-industry-ken
2. https://unctad.org/news/covid-19-boost-e-commerce-sustained-2021-new-unctad-figures-show
