Silk Road Truck Rally: An epic journey from Jiangsu to Xinjiang

The rally started in Lianyungang on Aug 14, 2014. [Provided to China Daily]

The first Silk Road Truck Rally got underway last week from Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, a port city on the east coast of China.

The trucks will travel through Jiangsu, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. More than 330 drivers will participate.

A national team of 20 trucks will complete the route from Lianyungang to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang. Provincial teams with more than 100 trucks in total will cover the route within each province.

Every team has delegates from major logistics companies from China and overseas as well as international truck manufacturers.

All trucks in the rally are equipped with monitor terminals and recorders that use the China-developed Beidou navigation system. With it, the organizing committee can easily track information on location and speed to help with security for participants and ensure fair competition.

An official from the Ministry of Transport said the rally is helpful to improve logistics skills among transport professionals.

Participants in the rally have the opportunity to learn skills in truck driving, repair, logistics-related information technology and emergency response.

Unlike a car race for sport, the truck rally is a demonstration of the nation's achievements in modern logistics and transportation, according to the organizing committee.

Also, participants will visit logistics operations at industrial parks at major stops along the route, it said.

The truck rally is a warm-up for the upcoming the Silk Road Economic Belt Transportation Summit to be held during the fourth China-Eurasia Expo on Sept 2 in Urumqi.

The summit is co-hosted by the Ministry of Transport and the autonomous region government of Xinjiang.

Following the rally, a carnival displayed the trucks will be conducted. Professionals in the audience will have the chance for a test drive. It will also include related games, a quiz and a photography contest.