Couriers ride horses to deliver parcels in snow
Take me away, mom Animals on the Road	“Water Margin” on eggs Cat the occupier Adorable animals pose like stars Cuddle up together, battling against blizzard Sunshine in the life

 

Customers in Bayan Nur, north China's Inner Mongolia were amazed to find their parcels being delivered by couriers on horseback, after the weather conditions made traveling by road almost impossible.

China's YTO Express posted photos of their employees on the company's official weibo account, stating "As promised, we have allocated resources to deliver items to you as soon as possible."

YTO said their aim was to "send pleasant surprises and wishes to customers despite the severe cold."

But riding on horseback through the snow is far from easy, and with no space for storage, couriers had to carry the parcels on their backs.

Their dedication has been praised online, although some netizens have taken the opportunity to complain about poor pay in the logistics industry.

With the popularity of e-commerce, China now has an estimated 1.2 million couriers, with nearly one-quarter of them reportedly working more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the New York Times. But their monthly income is only about 4,000 yuan, or 583 USD in first-tier metropolises like Beijing, and social welfare benefits are also limited. Few employees are willing to work for express delivery companies in the long term.

Last week, there were rumours that YTO could face bankruptcy with a huge backlog of undelivered parcels piling up in some of the company's bases.

YTO responded on Tuesday night by saying that the backlog, caused by a seasonal lack of labour and a large number of shipment orders from e-commerce businesses after the Spring Festival holiday, has had no fundamental impact on the running of the company.

Author： 　　　Source：CRI　　　 Editor：Yang Fan