The ornamental plant transport business is in 'peak season'.

As is his tradition, at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, Mr. Ngo Van Dat from Nghi Thai commune, Nghi Loc district, prepares his cart and ropes to go to flower and ornamental plant selling points in Vinh City to receive donations.hired plant transportfor customers. At this time, ornamental plants for Tet (Lunar New Year) have arrived on all the streets, and Mr. Dat's work has become busier as he receives many orders.

Plant delivery services are in high demand as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Resting after transporting three kumquat trees for Tet (Lunar New Year) from Vinh City's Central Park to Hung Loc commune, Mr. Dat shared: "I've been doing this job for almost 10 years now. My family works in agriculture, so our income is unstable. Every Tet, I do this extra work to earn money for the holiday. Because it's seasonal work, only lasting about a month, not only me but everyone takes advantage of the opportunity to work day and night so that Tet will be more prosperous..."

Mr. Dat said that compared to the previous two years, when people shopped less due to the pandemic, this year the demand for transporting flowers and ornamental plants has increased significantly. The number of delivery orders has also increased considerably, especially after the 15th day of the 12th lunar month. From 6 a.m., delivery drivers like Mr. Dat are present at the ornamental plant selling points waiting for customers, sometimes working until late at night before going home.

According to our research, two factors influence the cost of transporting ornamental plants: the distance and the value and size of the plant, which determine the appropriate mode of transport. Currently, in Vinh City, there are two common modes of transport: cranes for large, valuable plants worth tens to hundreds of millions of dong, and handcarts, carts, and rickshaws, often used by freelance workers.

The ornamental plants are being loaded onto a crane for transport to customers. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Due to increased demand, the price of transporting ornamental plants has also risen compared to previous years. For transport services using cranes, which can usually carry large quantities and offer the advantage of safety, the price ranges from 500,000 to 1 million VND per trip within Vinh city. For trips to other districts, the price can increase significantly depending on the distance and the agreement between the two parties.

For smaller ornamental plants, people often hire carts or rickshaws for transportation to save costs. On average, each trip costs between 100,000 and 500,000 VND, a price that has increased compared to previous years.

It is known that for large garden owners, due to the high demand for transporting ornamental plants during Tet (Lunar New Year), there are times when customers need them urgently but cannot find a transporter. Therefore, they have hired dedicated transporters for their shops at a cost of 10-20 million VND during Tet to proactively handle the work when needed.

Transporting ornamental plants is currently one of the hottest services during Tet (Lunar New Year). With diligence, careful planning of time and travel distances, those in this profession can easily earn millions of dong per day. This amount is entirely deserved for their efforts, because to achieve such a substantial income, they must stay up late and wake up early, always ready to serve customers at any time, even transporting plants in the cold, rainy night.

Despite the high income, some transporters share that there are quite a few risks involved in the job. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, from Hung Dung ward, recalled: “In 2021, I was transporting a Japanese peach tree from the intersection of Le Nin Boulevard and the 72-meter road to Hong Son ward. When I reached the roundabout near the Muong Thanh Phuong Dong Hotel, due to heavy traffic, I collided with a car. The ropes binding the tree broke, and it fell onto the road. The car was also scratched. Luckily, the car owner saw that I was a freelance worker and didn't demand compensation. However, the peach tree had broken branches and lost its flowers, and I had to pay a sum of money to the flower shop owner because the customer refused to accept the delivery…”

During the cold, rainy days in Vinh City, transporting ornamental plants becomes even more arduous, but the money they earn is well worth the effort. Photo: Nguyen Chau

Cases like Mr. Hung's are not uncommon. The job of transporting ornamental plants involves many risks, especially during Tet (Lunar New Year), when traffic on the roads is very heavy. Therefore, the top priority for this profession is to be careful and meticulous; the plants must be wrapped and secured properly, and drivers must always be cautious. In reality, there have been many cases where drivers, in their eagerness to complete deliveries quickly to secure more orders, have had avoidable traffic accidents, and the transportation fees are not enough to cover compensation for customers.