Living in constant fear
As a coal dealer, Li lived in constant fear of robberies and traffic accidents.
"There were always accidents on the road. Once, a truck was plundered," said Li, adding that the robbers wanted both the coal and the gasoline, as crude prices surged sharply.
"The robbers trapped the drivers in the cab and drained the fuel tank," he said.
Li admits that he was never held up in person, but once lost a whole tank of diesel to "oil mice."
Li said he also worried constantly about overloading his truck, which had a carrying capacity of 31.5 tons--an amount he exceeded by 30 tons nearly every time.
"It is a common practice. We could barely make a profit without doing this, but we were also afraid of being punished," Li revealed.
"I don't know whether you've noticed," Li told CNS. "Shandong is famous for its high quality roads, but those in Xinwen are quite bumpy. They have been damaged by overloaded trucks."
"It wasn't until I became a farmer that I realized that the government should adopt stricter measures to crack down on such illegal practices," Li added.
