Slow and steady on India’s trucking journey

A driver preparing to start his journey at the Chetak Foundation Truck Terminal in Manesar, Haryana, India. — ©2024 The New York Times Company

RAGIB Khan is a man of impeccable patience. On a sweltering morning at a truck yard in the northern Indian state of Haryana, he climbed into the cab of his 10-wheel tractor-trailer, started the engine and rumbled slowly onto the highway.

Over the day, he clung to the slow lane, never exceeding 55kph, while keeping watch for hazards: animals wandering the road, motorbikes darting in front and potholes large enough to swallow an axle.