Upgrading from traditional to modern commercial logistics hinges on intelligent systems as the core driver. In recent years, our city has focused on technological empowerment to advance the modern commercial logistics sector, supporting high-quality economic development.
At the S.F.Holding Co.,Ltd. Langfang Development Zone Transfer Center, the 37,000-square-meter facility features clearly defined zones for inventory management, sorting, packing, and order processing. In the automated sorting workshop, parcels are accurately categorized and swiftly transferred using automated equipment. Leveraging the city's prime location, robust industrial support, and favorable business environment, Langfang has become a crucial strategic hub for S.F. Holding's intelligent logistics network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Miao Huaiqin, Operations Manager at the S.F. Holding Langfang Development Zone Transfer Center, noted Langfang's position at the heart of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, with its extensive transportation network allowing access to surrounding major cities within an hour. Strong local support for the logistics industry, including open policies for autonomous vehicle road access and a positive business climate, coupled with a concentration of logistics firms, has led to a stable daily volume of 500,000 to 600,000 parcels at the park. Despite the high volume, delivery efficiency is impressive, with same-day delivery for morning shipments and next-day delivery for afternoon consignments. This is made possible by the innovative "upstairs warehouse, downstairs transfer" model implemented at the center, which seamlessly connects cloud storage with the ground-floor transfer hub, creating a closed-loop system for "storage + sorting + transfer." This reduces cargo handling time to just five minutes, cuts overall delivery time by over 40 minutes, and lowers comprehensive logistics costs by more than 10%. Additionally, the cutoff time for shipments is extended by 6 to 12 hours, continuously improving the regional logistics experience.
Zhang Guojun, Warehouse Manager at the S.F. Holding Storage Operations Center in Langfang, explained that the key advantage of this design is the significant streamlining of the transfer process, eliminating four traditional steps: short-distance transport from warehouse to transfer, secondary unloading, temporary re-storage, and repeated handling. Parcels packed upstairs go directly downstairs for sorting, saving over an hour per item in transit time and achieving near-zero wait time between storage and transfer.
Intelligent equipment and innovative models enhance sorting efficiency, while unmanned technology optimizes last-mile delivery. In the sorting workshop, smart handling robots autonomously move and position cargo. On roads within and around the park, unmanned delivery vehicles equipped with lidar, HD cameras, and L4 autonomous driving systems accurately identify road conditions, plan routes, and navigate obstacles. These vehicles have a maximum load capacity of 500 kilograms and a range of 100 kilometers.
Chen Baosheng, an Operator at the S.F. Holding Langfang Development Zone Transfer Center, stated that the company has deployed L4 autonomous vehicles at scale, enabling 24/7 operations. Each vehicle handles hundreds of shipments daily, reducing cost per shipment by over 1 yuan and saving over 200,000 yuan annually per outlet, while also cutting energy consumption and carbon emissions. These vehicles handle repetitive tasks like short-distance transfers, alleviating labor pressure. Equipped with full intelligent sensing devices, they operate safely and reliably with near-zero accident rates.
From digital and intelligent enhancements boosting efficiency to green technology upgrades, the innovative development at the S.F. Holding Langfang center exemplifies the dynamic rise of the city's modern commercial logistics industry. Miao Huaiqin added that future plans include advancing intelligent, green, and networked upgrades, expanding smart equipment, using digital tools to further improve efficiency and reduce costs, promoting new energy vehicles and recyclable packaging to create a green logistics park, extending service networks, and leveraging the geographic advantage to develop cross-border e-commerce and cold chain logistics, thereby expanding growth opportunities.
With intelligent equipment fully deployed, logistics operations are accelerating. Automated sorting systems have become standard across Langfang's express delivery centers. At the outbound warehouse of the second phase of YTO Express's Northern Headquarters Base in Yongqing County, automated sorting lines operate at high speed and efficiency. Chen Gang, head of the base's equipment management department, explained that since launching the industry's first fully automated "flexible sorting + AI vision" line, parcel processing time has been reduced to 10 seconds per item, with sorting accuracy reaching 99.99%.
Chen Gang, responsible for equipment management at YTO Express's Northern Headquarters Base North China Center, noted the deployment of six sets of AI vision + flexible sorting equipment, which have improved efficiency by 15% compared to previous systems. Older equipment would pause when labels faced downward, requiring manual intervention, whereas the new system scans all six sides—top, bottom, left, right, front, and back—eliminating the need for human handling.
As YTO Express's core parcel sorting hub in northern China, the Northern Headquarters Base handles inbound and outbound transfer and distribution for Beijing, parts of Hebei, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia, processing an average of 6 million parcels daily. To further enhance sorting efficiency, the base continuously upgrades logistics equipment, using AI and flexible sorting to strengthen its transfer advantages, enabling faster, more accurate sorting with less damage. During peak periods, the base's daily processing capacity now exceeds 10 million parcels, significantly boosting its logistics distribution capabilities.
Chen Gang stated that the focus now is on optimizing the use of this equipment, providing feedback on any shortcomings to headquarters for further investment and R&D to develop even better systems, thereby continuing to improve customer satisfaction.
While intelligent equipment accelerates logistics, last-mile delivery is also entering an "unmanned era." The city is breaking through the limitations of traditional delivery models, continuously exploring market demand and expanding service areas to create various specialized application scenarios. To date, over 260 unmanned logistics vehicles have been deployed citywide, a more than fivefold increase since April 2025, covering the main urban area and key counties around Beijing, such as Gu'an, Xianghe, and Dachang.
From smart sorting robots performing precise tasks to unmanned delivery vehicles navigating streets, from big data platforms enabling intelligent dispatch to blockchain technology ensuring full traceability, digital and intelligent solutions are injecting powerful momentum into the modern commercial logistics industry. In 2025, the city's express delivery volume reached 2.244 billion parcels, a year-on-year increase of 30.63%, marking the third consecutive year of growth exceeding 30%, with a growth rate higher than the national and provincial averages.