(ECNS) -- A number of courier companies in China have rushed to recruit new delivery drivers to cope with the peak business expected for China's largest shopping day—Double 11 on Nov. 11, Beijing Morning Post reported.
Some companies started strengthening their capacity as early as August and September by posting advertisements in campuses to hire temporary workers.
China Express Association expected that both the sales volume and number of packages placed on Nov. 11 will reach new records this year, the eighth year since China's largest e-marketplace Taobao.com kicked off the online shopping day.
The number of packages is expected to increase by 35 percent to hit 1.05 billion across several shopping platforms, which will create a surge in business for couriers.
Most job offers by courier companies promise monthly earnings of 5,000 to 7,000 yuan ($738 to $1,030), with the highest reaching 8,000 yuan.
Leading courier SF Express said it has increased worker numbers by nearly 1,000 since August and maintains a temporary workforce of 3,000 people, including hour-based workers or students who work part-time.
SF Express has also put in use an automatic sorting system that can handle 40,000 delivery packages an hour, double the efficiency of manual work.
Another courier Yunda Express has installed new systems in its distribution center to improve package management. Logistics company YTO Express said it will add 500 more cars for the shopping season.
