With the pilot car-free carrier started, the industry is increasingly concerned about their degree of warming, then the car-free carrier on the domestic present what kind of status quo? What kind of reference abroad? What is the difference between China and the United States? Today we understand together.


Logistics and freight industry to the car and cargo-based, if they do not have the car and how to participate in the cargo it? Under the background of the transformation and upgrading of the traditional industries and the constant infiltration of the Internet, a "car-free carrier" model has been created for the efficient integration and full utilization of resources, opening up a completely new path for the development of the traditional freight industry.


"Car-free carrier" means "car-free enterprise engaged in cargo transportation", also known as "car-free carrier", specifically refers to individuals or units engaged in the transport of goods without possessing the vehicle. Through effective integration of resources and diversified business forms The innovative operation, in order to achieve the purpose of multi-stakeholder win-win situation, itself generally do not engage in specific transport operations, to take light asset operation.


First, the status of freight: a lot of problems


For a long time, China's road freight industry has been labeled "more, small, scattered" label. According to incomplete statistics, China has 30 million truckers, of which 95% are individual drivers. This group is often confined to face-to-face acquaintances trading mode, goods and vehicles match the inefficient, the result is the logistics cost is too high.
    
As a traditional industry, logistics is a stratified outsourcing world, the general factory will be outsourced to a certain well-known logistics company, to ensure the safety of freight and freight efficiency. Logistics companies will subcontract the goods to different trunk logistics companies, trunk logistics companies and then sub-sub-branch logistics companies before delivery to private owners.


Second, car-free carrier: a lot of advantages


As a complete extrinsic mode, what are the advantages of "car-free carrier" "alien monk"?
     
First of all, car-free carrier is built on the Internet, with a well-developed information network, master of huge supply of information, through the effective integration of physical resources, so as to achieve an effective combination of virtual and physical networks and improve the overall efficiency of logistics operations.
     
Second, because car-free carriers do not need to purchase transportation vehicles, the characteristics of asset-light operations have not only reduced the cost of expanding their businesses, but also have allowed them to efficiently utilize limited funds for the acquisition of information resources and expand car-free delivery Radiation business scope, enhance the core competitiveness of enterprises.
     
Finally, "Car-Free Carrier" has advanced logistics development concept and rich management experience. With agile market response ability, it can adjust its development strategy in real time according to changes in market supply and demand with high anti-risk ability. Development laid a good foundation.


Third, the development is difficult: support a lot


Although it is a new model, the development of China's "car-free carrier" has received considerable attention.


In September 2015, the General Office of the State Council officially released the Opinions on Promoting the Promotion of Online and Offline Interaction, Accelerating the Transformation and Upgrading of Innovative Development of Business Circulation, marking the official recognition and support of the mode of freight forwarding for car-free enterprises in China. April 6 this year, held a State Council executive meeting proposed the construction of commercial public service cloud platform to allow car-free enterprises engaged in freight.


Fourth, the industry benchmark: Robinson


As North American logistics company, Robinson owns a nationwide trucking network with revenues of $ 12.8 billion in 2013, ranking 237th among Fortune 500 companies. The magic is that Robinson, whose main source of income is road transport, does not have a van.


In 1997, Robinson borrowed the idea of "NVOCC" to transform into a car-free carrier. Subsequently, Robinson abandoned its own transport vehicles, the establishment of integrated information system for social transport operators, grab the first network together a large demand for information. Grasp the voice of service pricing, firmly choke the lifeblood of this emerging market.


However, as a large-scale road transport giant Robinson, because there is no large amount of own transport vehicles and logistics real estate, there is no need for vehicles, logistics, real estate routine maintenance, management, implementation and so on a lot of manpower. Robinson only had 11,000 employees by April 2014, compared with 15,500 drivers for one of the top US road transport companies, with 22,300 employees in 28 countries and regions, and today revenues Not yet half of Robinson, the light asset. Robinson has transformed from a labor-intensive enterprise to a technology-intensive and capital-intensive one with no human cost burden.


However, Robinson's light logistics is not without center of gravity. In contrast, Robinson's focus is precisely the key to its ability to rise above the U.S. highway carriers. Robinson light logistics model, mainly depends on the three major patron: network information, heavy interconnection; financing leveraged, heavy capital; human technology, heavy personnel.


Heavy Internet


The lifeline of modern logistics in information technology, information technology is to achieve interoperability. With the Internet highway, you can break the barriers of traditional logistics, to achieve efficient and efficient logistics. Why transporters are willing to join Robinson's platform? Why is the owner of the company willing to cooperate with Robinson?


This benefits from two interoperable information superhighways on Robinson's logistics information platform, which can bring business value to carriers and shippers. Expressway is the TMS information platform, Robinson uses it Unicom transport enterprises; highway is Navisphere information platform, Robinson Unicom with its owner.
     
As long as the owner of the enterprise registers the account on the navigation sphere of the Navisphere information platform and fills in the shipping information and the destination, the navigation ball can transmit the information to the TMS information platform. Based on the needs of the customer for the service price and time, the TMS provides various available Choice of optimized logistics solutions. Common road transport market, "goods to find cars, cars look for goods" and other information asymmetry problem is a key solution.
     
Robinson control of the two highways, logistics and supply can be the two sides of the past, the two sides of the disorderly rules and regulations, compression, black-box part of the transparency. The owner of the enterprise can Robinson's information platform, a clear understanding of their own cargo is where, at what time of transport.


Heavy capital


The development of American enterprises has a capital market full of financing for living water and a high degree of industrial leverage. Robinson's light logistics model uses heavy technology and heavy capital to replace labor-intensive and resource-intensive. When the traditional logistics companies put a lot of money into storage, vehicles and other fields, Robinson put a lot of money into information technology and other fields.


Enterprises compete for the soft power of science and technology and talent, and soft power also needs capital leveraging. The so-called light logistics companies light, just walking relaxed, maintenance is not easy. Information platform is the focus of the construction of Robinson, in order to protect the advanced nature, Robinson invested more than 70 million US dollars each year to maintain, including TMS platform maintenance fee reached 50 million US dollars each year.
     
This requires capital leverage, Robinson's cash flow in the light asset model, relative to the traditional road business more abundant, and, in 2013, Robinson's top ten shareholders are funds and other large investment institutions, is the world's family of free funds, Vanguard, a global fund management company.


Heavy talent


Robinson is not a labor-intensive road logistics company, but it is a talent-intensive giant. Robinson, with nearly 600 IT engineers, looks more like a technology company. Robinson is relying on science and technology talents to integrate service resources, relying on technological innovation and enterprise development.




Robinson hope that some people are global logistics people, in fact, they do not want truck drivers looking for help solve customer problems, they work with many colleges and universities in the United States to find talent into the logistics industry, the logistics industry in this area most Most people in the country will think it is low-end, in fact, these assets are needed in light assets which is also a very big challenge is the key to success.


In order to seize the strategic high ground of talent, Robinson recruits elites every year to join the newcomers to conduct systematic classroom training. Robinson also online education and other forms, the establishment of formal and informal multi-channel learning, and strengthen technology-led service-oriented team building. Robinson will help everyone build professional development plans and goals, etc., to establish "all elite" team.
     
As a listed company in the United States, Robinson adopts equity incentive and a large part of his shares are held in the hands of employees. This is why Robinson can ensure the long-term stability of the talented echelon, thus maintaining the synergy of this light logistics chariot. In contrast, some road transport enterprises in China have not yet solved the problem of qualified personnel. In particular, they are familial private enterprises with a high turnover of senior executives.


Four, can not be ignored: Sino-US logistics industry differences


Although Robinson's model has achieved great success in the United States, before we consider whether Robinson's model can emerge in China, we have to look at the huge differences in the industries in the logistics industry between China and the United States:


Tax system differences


The existing road transport industry in China's logistics industry issues 11% VAT invoices, while the US logistics industry basically does not need to open tax invoices. This tax system differences make the current tax costs in China's logistics industry much higher than the United States. Now that China hopes to adopt the model of car-free carrier, it is essentially that enterprises want to reduce the burden of tax burden through the model of car-free carrier. However, from a commercial point of view, this will create a double taxation system in the highway industry. Conducive to the healthy development of the logistics industry.


Differences in industrial maturity


The maturity level of the logistics industry in the United States is much higher than that in China. The obvious performance of the logistics industry in the United States is the operation of pallet handling and roll-off, which greatly improves the loading and unloading efficiency and operational efficiency of vehicles. This high degree of standardization can streamline the logistics service and reduce the cost of the entire quote and inquiry, allowing the system to generate quotes directly. While China is in a period of rapid development, standardization of the whole logistics market is quite preliminary, with little standardization at all. The average waiting time for long-haul vehicles is 3-5 days, including loading and unloading waiting and Pending the wait This resulted in an extremely low average usage efficiency of the vehicle. The low maturity of the industry also led to the low quality of practitioners, the basic absence of integrity system.


Industrial structure difference


As the United States has a high level of industrial maturity, the United States has basically formed an oligopolistic situation in the logistics industry. Its industrial structure is relatively flat. However, there are basically no more than 3 billion contractual logistics enterprises in China, the market concentration is worse than that in the United States, and the intermediate links are far more complex than those in the United States. Often, there are several layers of subcontracting among shippers and carriers and the logistics can not be controlled Terminal drivers, is the common problem in this industry.


Differences in settlement patterns


The settlement account period for U.S. clients and logistics companies is one month, while the settlement period for logistics companies and drivers is also one month, so there is no shortage of funds. More conducive to the development of light asset model. Logistics companies can operate larger contracts with less capital. China's manufacturing enterprises tend to have up to three months accounting period, and even worse, even six-month settlement plus six-month acceptance. At the same time, manufacturing companies often charge high fees for logistics companies due to the lack of good faith.
    
The driver must be the end of the month shipping costs. Such a large number of logistics companies inevitably deposited in the accounts receivable, the popular saying is far from a logistics company is labor-intensive enterprises, near-see is a capital-intensive enterprises. Often 1 billion of funds can only do 3 billion contract. Due to financial distress, leading to the contract logistics enterprises can not be large-scale, can not scale economies of scale, it can not reduce the level of market structure, improve supplier stickiness.