The first TIR-marked truck left Zhengzhou, China, for Ashgabat on Thursday, officially opening the direct road transport service between China and Turkmenistan under the international TIR system, Xinhua reported.

“This is the first time that a Chinese trucking company has started direct road transport between China and Turkmenistan,” said Ouyang Liangyuan, deputy director of Xinzheng Customs Station at Zhengzhou Customs.

The route Is about 6 000 kilometers long and passes through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The travel time is about 9 days.

According to Wang Ti, deputy general manager of Zhengzhou Hongyi Transportation Co., Ltd., the use of this TIR route will reduce transportation costs by about 35 percent compared to air transportation and halve the delivery time compared to rail transport.

The TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) system greatly simplifies international cargo transportation. Cargo is sealed at the starting point of the route and checked only at the destination, which reduces transportation time and reduces administrative risks.

The new Zhengzhou-Ashgabat route starts from the Henan TIR collection and distribution center. Currently, the center serves 18 TIR routes linking China with nine countries, including Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.