Twenty years of cold chain

Five days later, at the old gate on East Street in Mingyuan City.

In a small courtyard with a large stone cascading over a waterfall in the center, Hu Shutong sat facing another old acquaintance.

Kang Xingkai was the one who, though he left the sales outlet, never left the refrigerated truck.

Kang Xingkai was one of the victims of the ice energy fraud scandal years ago, and at one point lost hope in the industry. However, after leaving the front line of sales, he gained a clearer understanding of the industry. The problems with refrigerated trucks were like a tangled mess, involving not only the damage to the containers but also internal infighting.

So in early 2004, Kang Xingkai founded a website called "Mingjiang Refrigerated Truck Network" to provide customers with a platform for selecting refrigerated trucks and a trading platform for used refrigerated trucks.

Kang Xingkai had a natural advantage in this industry. His six years in sales had allowed him to accumulate many refrigerated truck customers, especially in the fields of flower and dairy product transportation and high-end catering. He was also very familiar with the refrigerated truck companies in the Mingjiang market, which made the establishment of this bridge relatively smooth.

As the website matured, Mingjiang Cold Car Network hired professional reviewers to record review videos and update review reports, and attracted customers to participate in online car clubs. Every quarter, it negotiated with designated companies to carry out an offline experience camp.

Kang Xingkai has access to the most accurate sales data for Mingjiang refrigerated trucks. From his perspective, he can better see how terrifying this wave of container truck sales is. Many refrigerated truck manufacturers have seen their sales plummet by 70%, and many truck owners have voiced their desire to return their vehicles.

"Shutong, if the southern suburbs can really start the bidding process for refrigerated trucks, it would be like finding a spark in the long night!"

"I believe Qi Zhendong will make changes, but Minghe's communication with superiors and subordinates has always been slow. Wait a while and things will turn around."

"When the time comes, I'll use the most eye-catching headline and the largest space on the website to report on this. The website also collaborates with industry print media; we'll buy the space and promote it extensively!"

Hu Shutong nodded. "After being chased and beaten like this, it's time to make some moves. Xingkai, I asked you out today to talk about something else."

As they were talking, Hu Shutong handed over a document, the title of which read "Mingjiang Refrigerated Truck Alliance Charter".

As Kang Xingkai looked at it, he became excited. This was not the kind of empty, general document he had imagined, but something substantial and meaningful. Moreover, it was based on a technological platform, which made it all possible to realize!

The Vehicle Technology Research Institute provides technical support to refrigerated truck manufacturers throughout the province, comprehensively applying painting, welding, and injection processes to the production of refrigerated truck bodies. It also categorizes raw materials, chemical materials, metal materials, and accessories by grade, providing price references for different models and clarifying the differences for customers.

More importantly, the refrigerated truck alliance has binding clauses that clearly list the rights to recommend and the obligations to report, prohibiting malicious competition that could harm the interests of other alliance members.

"Shutong, this is great news! The feud between refrigerated vehicle manufacturers has been such a headache for so many years. They're all clashing with us, and they're still only concerned with their own meager profits!"

"That's right, with the technology there, this alliance will attract a large number of members. But it will be difficult for Professor Hong and Professor Pang to build a network platform in the short term, so let's see if Mingjiang Refrigerated Vehicle Network can join the alliance as a website."

Kang Xingkai nodded without hesitation, "I understand! This isn't difficult. I'll create a separate section specifically for the refrigerated truck alliance, and the website already has a customer base. The updates from the refrigerated truck alliance will continuously give them confidence, which is a very strong driving force!"

Kang Xingkai's words resonated with Hu Shutong. The refrigerated truck alliance desperately needed a widely publicized portal, and this website, operating under the motto "Home of Refrigerated Trucks," was undoubtedly the biggest help. Binding refrigerated truck companies and customers through a single channel was the only way to survive.

Just then, Hu Shutong's phone rang, and it was Qi Zhendong calling!

"Mr. Hu, the tender documents will be issued in a week, and the bidding will begin on March 1st. There are a total of 140 vehicles, and we expect to have four partners. How many vehicles Weihui can get depends on your ability."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Qi!"

"When are you going back to Qingyan?"

"It's only a few days left, so I won't participate in the bidding."

"That's good. If I see you again during the bidding process, Weihui's chances are really slim."

Hu Shutong laughed, and Qi Zhendong laughed too.

"After we get back, the green channel plan cannot be delayed, the new vegetable and pork HACCP cannot be delayed, and the temperature control process cannot be delayed."

"Don't worry, it's all about copying Tongxing's homework, I'm good at it."

"Hey! Something's off about everything you say since you came back! Never mind, let me organize things and we'll take a trip to Tongxing sometime!"

After hanging up the phone, Kang Xingkai asked anxiously, "Shutong, did it work?"

"It's done!"

"Great! The refrigerated trucks have finally teamed up! Finally teamed up!" Kang Xingkai exclaimed excitedly.

Some people are working hard in the laboratory to study equipment and materials technology, some are integrating the industry on a larger scale to stop competitors from fighting each other, some are building channels and smoothing things over in the upstream and downstream, and some are sticking to refrigerated trucks.

People are catching up and making progress, working together to drive the development of these six simple words: from farm to table.

In the refrigerated transport equipment sector, a field rife with problems and chaos, finding a glimmer of hope in this endlessly squeezed space is even more difficult.

Years later, when we see branded refrigerated trucks picking up goods in front of cold storage facilities, and when we see more refrigerated vans speeding along the roads, it will be the greatest comfort to this bygone era.

We need not only refrigerators at home, but also refrigerators on the go.

Only when more and more professional refrigerated trucks are on the road can this industry have its smoothest arteries.

Of course, we hope that refrigerated trucks contain pristine white ice crystals like those in our own refrigerators, rather than haphazardly piled up, poorly cooled, and filled with unpleasant odors and lingering putrid smells.

This event at the beginning of the year gave Hu Shutong a great sense of accomplishment. It wasn't just about saving refrigerated trucks; he also noticed a growing number of people around him, and people from all walks of life in the cold chain industry. Even more valuable was that, regardless of their industry or field, everyone was working towards the same ultimate goal because they were the ones who understood the gaps best.

If it weren't for Weihui's troubles, Hu Shutong would have already returned to Qingyan. He couldn't stay in Mingyuan any longer; there were still a lot of things at Tongxing that urgently needed his attention.

When Su Mu called Hu Shutong, he mentioned Sanhe Meat Industry twice. Knowing that Hu Shutong was busy, he didn't say much and tried to suppress the issue. However, Sanhe Meat Industry became increasingly domineering, and Tongxing was finding it difficult to cope with them lately.

Speaking of Sanhe Meat Industry, it has some connection with Hu Shutong. It was one of the three parties that competed for the Tongxing land back then. Could it be that the anger of not getting the land back then is now being vented?

"Who do you think you are, putting on airs with this tiny little garden! Sanhe is doing you a huge favor by asking you to do business! I come here twice a week, who else in the world gets that kind of treatment! But you guys don't utter a single useful word, always giving me the runaround. Is your manager in charge in jail yet?!"

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.