Public-Private Efforts to Tackle Truck Driver Shortage in Japan

Nagoya, Aug. 21 (Jiji Press)--Japan's public and private sectors are boosting efforts to counter a lack of truck drivers in the country, which is becoming increasingly serious amid a rise in the number of parcel deliveries due to the popularity of online shopping.

According to the Railway Freight Association, Japan is expected to suffer a lack of about 280,000 truck drivers in 2028. The shortage is feared to have a negative impact on the daily lives of people in Japan.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to establish within the current fiscal year to March a certification system for logistics operators that are actively undertaking work style reforms, such as correcting long work hours of drivers, in a bid to improve the working environment for drivers.

Under the system, the ministry is expected to assess logistics operators on a three-point scale, including on the "goodness" of the workplace.

In April, Hino Motors Ltd. <7205>, Japan's largest truck maker, announced a new truck equipped with driving assistance functions including a rear view camera, in an effort to help inexperienced drivers.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]