Shippers in Nghe An are rushing to fulfill Tet holiday orders.

Starting at 5 AM, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet, residing in Hung Binh ward (Vinh City), arrives at a homemade food production facility in the area to receive orders, pick up goods, and begin deliveries within Vinh city. Mr. Viet is considered a regular delivery driver for this facility. Normally, he delivers 30-50 orders a day, each worth 10,000-15,000 VND (depending on distance). During Tet (Lunar New Year), especially from the 20th day of the 12th lunar month onwards, when people prepare offerings for the Kitchen God and the Lunar New Year, the number of orders increases two to three times. Therefore, he has to work from 5 AM until midnight to fulfill all customer orders.

Viet said: "These are mostly pre-ordered items; customers receive their orders on the scheduled dates, so I have to deliver them on time. Every day, I handle 100-150 orders, with the nearest one being about 3 km away and the furthest up to 15 km, so driving around nearly a thousand kilometers on my motorbike is normal."

Having worked as a delivery driver for a shipping company for the past three years, Nguyen Ba Tu (residing in Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town) is accustomed to the pressure of work during the peak Tet holiday season. The trend of online shopping is increasing, especially at the end of the year, so from the Lunar New Year onwards, his work becomes extremely busy. He delivers goods in Hoang Mai town, Quynh Luu district, and even communes in Thanh Hoa province bordering Hoang Mai town.

"Normally, I only receive a maximum of 25-30 orders, but during the end of the year, the number of orders doubles, and from the 20th of the 12th lunar month onwards, the number of orders triples. I have to travel on the roads from early morning until late at night to deliver orders to customers on time."

According to Ms. Duong Van Nga, a businesswoman in Vinh City specializing in imported confectionery and food products from Russia: "From Christmas to Lunar New Year, the number of orders increases two to three times compared to normal. Although we have a physical store, customers mainly buy through Facebook."

Therefore, I have to hire shippers or delivery services (if the customers are in suburban areas or other provinces). At this time of year, it's harder to find shippers because they have so many orders every day. To be proactive, I have to hire two people specifically to handle orders for my store during the end-of-year period.”

Nowadays, online shopping has become a common trend among people due to its convenience and lower prices. Many people, especially young people and office workers, are more accustomed to shopping for Tet (Lunar New Year) with just a click of the mouse than going to physical stores. With the development of e-commerce, the number of online delivery services has also increased.

Delivery drivers are busier these days due to year-end shopping demand and ongoing promotions. Many delivery companies have had to hire extra staff to handle the large volume of orders.

Mr. Thai Van Phat, a representative of a fast delivery service in Vinh City, said: “Our company has 50 shippers. At this time, the number of orders has increased significantly, with each person having to deliver 100-120 orders per day. During the Tet holiday month, we continuously recruit and add personnel, but we still cannot meet the demand of customers. Therefore, the work of shippers is very stressful; they have to work 12-14 hours a day, and most of them have makeshift lunches and dinners on the road to ensure the work schedule is met.”

Besides facing time pressure, to do their job well, shippers need to know the routes thoroughly, time their deliveries precisely, and plan their routes to optimize delivery times. During year-end shopping seasons and the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), they must be even more careful and attentive when delivering specific items such as plants, food, alcohol, and fragile goods.

Despite the hard work and pressure, most delivery drivers feel enthusiastic because the more orders they receive, the higher their income.