Hanoi [Vietnam], February 12: With a surge in orders, increasingly larger package sizes, and demands for fast, long-distance, and on-time delivery, the entire transportation system is operating at full capacity in the days leading up to the Lunar New Year.
Inter-provincial applications are piling up.
Mr. Tuan Phuong (33 years old, Khanh Hoi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) sent a package containing gifts, local specialties, and confectionery from Ho Chi Minh City to Ninh Binh by creating an order on the app and selecting the home delivery service. Early Monday morning, he was shocked to find his order on the Viettel Post app unexpectedly canceled with the reason "staff and customer are not ready." Contacting the hotline, the post office owner explained that due to an overload of orders, all staff had no free time to receive packages at home, forcing customers to bring their goods to the post office themselves. Mr. Tuan Phuong had to ask for leave from work in the early afternoon to go and pick up his package, as this was also the last day the post office accepted express delivery orders to provinces. Previously, the unit had stopped accepting regular deliveries, only express delivery, due to the inability to deliver goods before Tet (Lunar New Year).
At noon on February 10th, at a large Viettel Post branch on Ton That Thuyet Street (Xom Chieu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), goods were piled high, blocking the walkways. Shippers and drivers were constantly coming and going, each carrying several packages weighing from 5 to 15 kg. Many customers had to turn back because their goods did not meet air freight requirements or would not be delivered before Tet (Lunar New Year). Regular provincial deliveries were almost completely stopped, with only express air freight being prioritized. "Even a few days' delay could mean goods sit in storage through Tet," said an employee.
Not only Viettel Post, but also J&T Express's call center is constantly busy due to a sudden surge in calls. The sharp increase in online shopping demand in a short period of time has caused shipping routes from Ho Chi Minh City to the North and Central regions to become overloaded. Many orders are delayed by 5-7 days, or even haven't left the transit warehouse yet, despite it being close to Tet (Lunar New Year).
Minh Tiep (34 years old), the owner of an online clothing shop in Thu Duc Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, said that February 10th was the last day he accepted orders for delivery to other provinces before Tet (Lunar New Year). "After this date, I will stop all inter-provincial orders on e-commerce platforms, focusing only on selling within Ho Chi Minh City via Facebook and express delivery on Shopee, and not accepting orders from outside the city," he said. According to Tiep, last year many orders couldn't be delivered due to overload, forcing returns, causing losses in costs and reputation. "Having been in online business for over 10 years, I choose the safe option to avoid risks close to Tet," he shared.
Meanwhile, Le Cong Tuan (30 years old), the owner of an online ao dai shop on No Trang Long Street (Binh Loi Trung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), shared that ao dai are a niche product, usually only worn once or twice during Tet (Lunar New Year). In previous years, the shop still accepted orders until the 23rd of the 12th lunar month, but this led to many return risks. Some customers wore the ao dai for photos and then returned it because it was dirty, smelled of sweat, or had faded; there were even cases of swapping goods and returning different products. With a large volume of orders close to Tet, if deliveries to other provinces were made, defective goods or complaints arising on the 28th or 29th of Tet would not be processed in time. Therefore, the shop focuses on deliveries within Ho Chi Minh City to proactively support customers, accepting reduced revenue in exchange for risk control.
According to Viettel Post, J&T Express, Giao Hang Nhanh , and Vietnam Post, the volume of inter-provincial orders began to increase sharply from the end of December. Therefore, shipping times from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nghe An, etc., are longer than usual, by 2-3 days, and in some cases, orders may take 5-6 days to deliver.
The sorting center. never sleeps.
Orders are surging, putting the greatest pressure on sorting centers. At many large transit warehouses in Ho Chi Minh City, goods are piled high, blocking aisles, and staff not only process data but also have to sort and load goods overnight. One express delivery company reported that the volume of mail near Tet (Lunar New Year) increased by 25-30% compared to normal days, and about 15% higher than the same period last year. At its peak, the entire system processed nearly 1 million mail items per day, forcing it to operate 24/7 to clear the backlog. Faced with this overwhelming pressure, many units have been forced to tighten their acceptance criteria. Viettel Post announced a temporary suspension of accepting perishable food and large-sized special items from the 22nd day of the 12th lunar month. "The post office is currently not accepting refrigerated goods from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi because it is very difficult to deliver them in time before Tet," a delivery employee said.
At BEST Express's Cu Chi Sorting Center (SC Hub), from late evening to early morning, dozens of large trucks continuously enter and exit the receiving area, bringing packages from various provinces and cities to the center before being routed further. According to the operations representative, the processing volume here has increased 3-4 times compared to normal days. The automated sorting system, using artificial intelligence (AI), helps packages redirect to the correct route in just milliseconds, but the human element still plays a crucial role. Packages with incorrect codes or information must be transferred to the manual processing stage where experienced staff directly inspect and correct them to ensure a smooth flow. The company's highest goal in the week leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) is to avoid having inventory that carries over into the new year.
A notable aspect of this year's peak season is the significant increase in bulky goods. Consumers are increasingly accustomed to buying household appliances, furniture, and electronics online, leading to a rapid increase in demand for shipping packages weighing 30-150 kg. Currently, delivery fees for heavy goods within the city range from 120,000 to 350,000 VND per order, depending on weight and distance. For inter-provincial routes, the fee ranges from 300,000 VND to over 1 million VND per package, significantly lower than the cost of hiring private trucks as in previous years.
BEST Express has just launched its Best Cargo service, accepting packages up to 150 kg, targeting furniture shops and e-commerce platforms. The addition of a specialized heavy-duty service is expected to help alleviate the "order bottlenecks" that occurred during previous Tet holiday seasons, when many traditional delivery companies refused or limited the size of packages.
In the urban delivery sector, ride-hailing and delivery platforms such as Grab, Be, Xanh SM, Ahamove, and Lalamove have simultaneously launched service packages, promotions, and reward policies to retain drivers. The price for small deliveries (5-10 kg) by motorbike within a 5 km radius is commonly 35,000-60,000 VND, remaining almost unchanged compared to normal days. For larger deliveries (30-50 kg), customers can choose tricycles, pickup trucks, or small trucks at prices ranging from 90,000-180,000 VND.
"The peak Tet holiday season is always the most challenging period for urban logistics. Ensuring sufficient vehicles, drivers, and maintaining consistent service quality is a top priority," a representative from Grab Vietnam shared. With many drivers returning home early, the platform is implementing incentive policies, ride bonuses, and appreciation activities to maintain its workforce throughout the Tet holiday.
According to Mr. Nguyen Hai Dang, CEO of Lalamove Vietnam, the demand for same-day delivery, from Tet gifts to bulky items, has surged since mid-December. "The biggest challenge is ensuring sufficient vehicles and drivers amidst the influx of people returning home early, but this is also a period that clearly demonstrates the role of logistics in the consumer chain," he said.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
