Didi starts hiring van drivers for new cargo service

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is hiring van drivers in two principal capitals in China – Chengdu and Hangzhou – for its freight delivery pilot project, according to a post on its official WeChat account.

Didi’s Beijing headquarters / Photo credit: Didi Chuxing

The company is looking to hire up to 600 drivers from May 18 to June 18. Those who want to sign up will have to deposit 800 yuan (US$112) and pay 50 yuan (US$7) for an on-van marketing fee. Commission fees will be exempted for the first 30 days.

Didi said it does not have any additional information to share on this topic in response to Tech in Asia‘s inquiry.

The recruitment comes as the company ventures into logistics in a bid to broaden its mobility services. The market, which could reach over 10 trillion yuan (US$1.4 trillion), is already occupied by established players such as SoftBank-backed Manbang Group, Lalamove, and JD.com-backed Fuyou Kache, among others.

Earlier this year, Didi launched a home delivery service called Paotui, which means running errands in Chinese. It offers general door-to-door services on demand, charging 12 yuan (roughly less than US$2) to 20 yuan (US$3) for the first 10 kilometers.

The company also previously introduced public bus services as it aims for an 8% penetration rate in the broader mobility market.

Didi’s ride-hailing business was hard-hit after the Covid-19 pandemic had prompted travel restrictions. However, Didi president Jean Liu recently said that the core segment is becoming profitable again, with ride volumes going back to about 60% to 70% of its numbers before the pandemic.

Currency converted from Chinese yuan to US dollar: US$1 = 7.10 yuan.