A workman loads vegetable packs – to be shipped to Shanghai – onto a truck. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Trucks carrying vegetable packs to supply COVID-19-hit Shanghai set off on April 18 from Qidong – a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – and headed for the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, some 80 kilometers away to the south.

The convoy was the result of the determination of the Qidong subsidiary of Nantong Automobile Transportation Group Co Ltd to support Shanghai.

"Starting on April 11, we have sent 143,980 vegetable packs to Shanghai in batches, weighing some 720 metric tons. Each pack has six kinds of seasonal vegetables," said Lu Ping, general manager of the Qidong branch company.

"Since receiving our urgent task on April 10, we organized the supply of goods as quickly as possible and arranged for staff to carry out work including vegetable sorting and packaging by turns," Lu added.

To efficiently complete the vegetable shipments, the Qidong branch established six specialist teams – responsible for logistics, on-site work arrangements, quality control of the vegetables, material supplies, local vegetable collections, as well as epidemic prevention and information registration.

Ni Zaitao, head of the logistics team, was still busy at work at 3 am on April 16. "A truck has entered, please come and disinfect it," Ni told the disinfection staff. "The interior and exterior of the truck, including the vegetable baskets, all need disinfection," Ni added.

Huang Lianzhong is a member of Qidong Coach Station who is due to retire in a few months. Despite his age, Huang actively participated in vegetable sorting and loading and rubbish collection.

"Having worked here my whole career, I want to make a final contribution," Huang added.