Chongqing - At 3 a.m., truck driver Liang Li fights off sleep with a cup of hot tea as he pushes through another overnight run on the highway. His 300-kilometer journey from Qianjiang to Jiangjin must be completed before 6 a.m.—a promise he has kept to his clients for years, even when it strains his physical limits.
The Driver Home at Shuangfu Market in Chongqing’s Jiangjin District offers a rest stop for long-distance truck drivers. (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
Across Chongqing, thousands of professional drivers like Liang keep the economy moving. For years, many worked through exhaustion, uncertainty, and a lack of proper support. Today, that picture is changing. A growing service network—combining public amenities, rights protections, and social care—is easing the burdens these drivers face.
After arriving at Shuangfu Market right on time, Liang heads straight to the “Driver Home,” the space he looks forward to most after hours of intense concentration. The facility offers truckers a clean, dedicated place to rest and access basic services.
“In the past, when I arrived, I had to curl up in the cab or spend a few dozen yuan on an hourly hotel—poor hygiene, poor rest, and it hurt to spend the money,” Liang said. Now he enjoys free facilities: a hot shower to wash off the road dust, a public microwave to warm his breakfast, and a spacious lounge where he can finally sleep comfortably.
“Being able to sleep well is more valuable than earning extra money,” Liang said. He estimates that skipping those hourly hotel stays now saves him several hundred yuan each month.
To further improve conditions for drivers like Liang, Shuangfu Market plans to invest several million yuan to create a dedicated parking area for nearly 500 trucks, addressing long-standing parking shortages.
For many truck drivers, however, the stress of uncertain payment can feel even heavier than fatigue. Disputes over freight fees are common. “The worst thing is delivering the goods, only to be denied payment,” said an anonymous driver from Shandong.
He described a recent incident: after transporting apples to Chongqing last month, his client attempted to withhold nearly 1,000 yuan (141 U.S. dollars) due to minor damage on a few boxes.
Just as he prepared for a dispute, a market mediator stepped in and invited both parties to a mediation room. After reviewing the facts, the mediator proposed a fair plan within 30 minutes—deducting a small portion of the fee to reflect the actual loss and settling the remaining amount on the spot.
“It feels like someone is backing us up,” the driver said. “It makes doing business more reassuring.”
Stable rest and secure income solve practical problems—but emotional support and a sense of belonging matter just as much for people who spend their lives on the road.
At a public service station for ride-hailing drivers in Chongqing’s Jiulongpo District, driver Duan Hong says the station offers far more than a place to eat or recharge.
He said he received a free health check there last month. “Some issues were found, but what moved me most was the respect. At that moment, I felt like I was a worker, not just someone renting a car to make a living.” That respect, he said, created a strong sense of home.
Duan even recalled seeing a couple who drove a small truck and stayed at the station for several nights due to temporary housing problems. “It’s like a home here,” he said. “It helps people get through tough times.”