Imagine a truck speeding down the highway, loaded with goods. It carries not just customer expectations, but also the reputation of logistics companies and the well-being of countless families. Yet every acceleration and every turn hides potential risks. How do industry leaders like Deppon, ANE, Rokin, Sansheng Logistics, and Chiwan Orient maintain efficiency while minimizing safety risks to achieve enviable zero-accident records?
The answer lies in their meticulous safety management systems.
The Evolution of Road Transport Safety
Since the 1990s, China's road transport safety has transformed from passive response to active prevention, alongside improvements in highway infrastructure and the booming freight industry. We are now at a critical moment transitioning from the 2.0 era (active prevention) to the 3.0 era (intelligent and digital). Safety is no longer just a slogan but integrated into every operational aspect as a quantifiable, executable, and predictable management system.
While China's road transport safety has generally improved with decreasing fatalities per 10,000 vehicles, growing logistics demand brings new challenges. In 2021, the country recorded 172,000 road accidents - the highest in a decade. Addressing these emerging issues has become a key priority for all logistics stakeholders.
Root Cause Analysis: The Four Key Factors
Accidents rarely result from single factors but rather from multiple contributing elements. The 2023 China Road Transport Safety White Paper categorizes accident causes into four types: human factors, organizational/management factors, equipment factors, and environmental factors. While environmental factors tend to be more independent and sudden, the other three often intertwine.
For example, tire accidents might stem from wear, improper inflation, or material defects (tire factors), but can also be influenced by road conditions or driving habits (environmental factors). Only by analyzing these interconnections can we identify true root causes and develop targeted prevention measures.
Tire Accident Attribution Model (Case Study)
Tire-related accidents typically include blowouts, skidding, fires, detachment, and leaks. These can be attributed to either "tire-specific factors" or "tire operating environment factors."
For tire-specific factors, we evaluate five dimensions: wear, pressure, material, structure, and tread pattern. For instance, severe wear combined with underinflation significantly increases blowout risk. Similarly, road conditions, temperature, and load affect tire safety.
Such attribution models help logistics companies better identify potential tire risks and implement preventive measures to reduce accident rates.
Safety Management Upgrade: Systematic Approaches
Effective safety management requires complete systems rather than simple regulations. Starting with fundamental mechanisms creates leverage for comprehensive management.
From organizational factors, companies establish safety systems centered on driver training, assessment, and incentives. Through effective policy-driver interaction, they build safety cultures where drivers transition from passive compliance to active responsibility, creating virtuous safety cycles.
Technological Advancements: Smart Driving and Material Innovation
Beyond management upgrades, technological innovations significantly enhance road transport safety.
Smart Driving Applications
Recent years have seen remarkable progress in logistics-focused autonomous driving technologies. These advancements improve reliability, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness while meeting regulatory requirements and practical business needs. For example, Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) provide lane departure warnings and forward collision alerts to reduce driver errors and prevent accidents.
Material Technology Upgrades
Truck tires remain central to commercial vehicle safety innovation. Michelin's Infinite Coil Technology, for instance, uses over 400 meters of steel wire wrapped beneath the tread to significantly enhance load capacity, durability, and blowout resistance.
Safety Management Strategies: Lessons from Industry Leaders
As primary cargo carriers, logistics companies bear the greatest and most direct safety responsibilities in road transport. Below we examine safety practices at leading firms like Deppon, ANE, Chiwan Orient, Rokin, and Sansheng Logistics.
Deppon Express: Process Control as Safety Key
Founded in 1996, Deppon was China's first less-than-truckload company to exceed 10 billion yuan in revenue. Its safety management system focuses on personnel, vehicles, and cargo safety through comprehensive process controls.
For tire fires, Deppon designs management solutions covering pre-trip maintenance, in-transit braking duration, driver rest periods, and post-incident fire response. This end-to-end approach has reduced accidents per million kilometers by over 25% since 2019, with safety investments yielding 36.9% returns.
ANE Logistics: No Ceiling for Safety
Established in 2010, ANE pioneered the franchise model in express logistics. Since 2020, it has invested heavily in fleet upgrades, with 4,000 high-capacity trucks and 6,200 trailers by 2022. Through rigorous management, ANE reduced accidents per million kilometers from 2.04 in 2020 to 0.54 in 2022 - a fourfold decrease.
Chiwan Orient: People-Centric Implementation
Founded in 1986, this state-owned enterprise operates logistics networks, supply chains, and industrial parks with 1,000+ vehicles. From 2017-2022, it invested over 30 million yuan in smart driving systems, becoming China's first fleet to widely adopt such technologies. This reduced accidents per million kilometers by 73.63% and accident losses per million yuan output by 58%.
Rokin Logistics: Prevention-First Approach
Since 1997, Rokin has specialized in food cold chains, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and high-end general cargo with 1,500 vehicles. Customized safety management reduced accidents per million kilometers by 52.4% from 2018-2021. In 2022, it updated vehicle safety regulations, emergency protocols, and risk management systems to strengthen transport safety.
Sansheng Logistics: Zero-Accident Imperative for Hazardous Transport
Established in 2007, Sansheng primarily transports liquid chemicals for major clients like BASF-YPC and Sinopec. With 300+ vehicles averaging 15,000 monthly kilometers, its hazardous operations demand extreme safety measures. All vehicles feature disc brakes, EBS systems, six monitoring cameras, government-mandated GPS, monthly maintenance using OEM parts, and premium steering tires.
Conclusion: Safety as the Foundation for Sustainable Logistics
These case studies demonstrate that safety management requires continuous improvement rather than one-time solutions. Only by embedding safety into corporate culture and implementing effective measures can companies ensure road transport safety and sustainable development.