A reception hall at "Drivers' Home" in the Jiangsu Mingyuan Smart Logistics Port in Gangzha district [Photo/official WeChat account of Gangzha district government]

"It's different now. I feel at home here. I used to have to wait in my muggy truck as it was loaded and unloaded," said 49-year-old truck driver Zhou Xudong while resting at "Drivers' Home" in the Jiangsu Mingyuan Smart Logistics Port in Gangzha district, Nantong city, on July 18.

Nantong has 107,300 truck drivers and 55,600 cargo trucks. However, the services provided to these drivers are often uneven in local logistics parks. 

Things changed when the Ministry of Transport and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions issued a statement to develop "Drivers' Home" projects in 10 provinces, including Jiangsu, Hebei, and Liaoning, in 2018 in order to make things more convenient for truck drivers. This resulted in the birth of the "Drivers' Home" of the Jiangsu Mingyuan Smart Logistics Port.

Located in the Nantong Comprehensive Logistics Industrial Park in Gangzha district, the 7.87-hectare "Drivers' Home" is adjacent to the Nanjing-Nantong Highway, the Jiangsu coastal high-speed railway, and the Nantong Railway Station. 

It is equipped with 150 special parking spaces for trucks, as well as catering, maintenance, refueling, and accommodation facilities.

"Our company started out as a truck fleet and we know what truck drivers need," said Zhao Jungang, general manager of Jiangsu Mingyuan Logistics Co, which invested 5 million yuan ($727,366) into the construction of "Drivers' Home". 

It is not just about profits, but also about social welfare, Zhao said when asked about the motivations behind building "Drivers' Home". 

"Drivers' Home" was recently recognized as one of 13 provincial and 76 national pilot projects by the Ministry of Transport and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions. 

Jiangsu Mingyuan Logistics' "Drivers' Home" will be promoted across Nantong as an example of how to provide truck drivers with more comprehensive services, according to Chen Jie, an official of the General Transportation Department of the Nantong Transportation Bureau.

In addition, Nantong and Gangzha district will call on more companies to participate in the development of "Drivers' Home" projects to contribute to the healthy development of the road freight industry.