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A group of experts under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) compiled a final report on the realization of “automated logistics routes“Rather than using normal vehicle lanes, these roads would use highway shoulders and other options to automatically transport goods.
MLIT plans to collaborate with private companies to develop the required technology. They envision its introduction on a stretch of highway connecting Tokyo and Osaka in the next decade or so.
Automated transport expands amid growing fears a severe shortage of truck drivers could slow logistics in Japan. Using innovative technologies to compensate for the driver shortage could prove key to mitigating the impact on daily life and the industry. Hopefully the development of this technology will achieve constant progress.
How it works
An automated logistics route is a logistics lane on which unmanned carts automatically transport goods. The planned lanes will be located in places such as highway shoulders, median strips and underground.
The MLIT has been discussing technical issues and other aspects of the project in the expert group since February 2024. According to the group’s final report, freight transportation will take place around the clock at a speed of 70 to 80 kilometers per hour.
Initially, it was planned to transport cargo at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour. But the goal now is to increase the transport speed on the logistics route to that of a freight truck.
Preparations underway
Testing of the new transportation system is expected to take place in fiscal 2027 on the Shin-Tomei Expressway. A 25-kilometer section related to the project is currently under construction between Shin-Hadano (Kanagawa Prefecture) and Shin-Gotemba (Shizuoka Prefecture).
Additionally, the government must make environmental improvements. However, its goal is to start operation on routes that can be implemented after only small-scale improvements.
Restrictions on overtime for truck drivers were introduced in April 2024. Since then, the logistics crisis caused by the resulting drop in transport capacity has been dubbed the “problem of 2024”. However, thanks to advances in public transportation, there have been no major disruptions in logistics so far.
However, due to the increasing average age of truck drivers, it is estimated that the amount of goods that can be transported in FY 2030 will decrease by 34% compared to FY 2019. It is therefore essential to regularly implement compensation measures.
When automated transport starts
When automated logistics lanes begin operating, they are expected to account for up to 22% of freight that otherwise could not be transported in FY 2030.
In May, MLIT created a consortium to exchange opinions with private companies on the project. Its topics include core technologies and commercial viability requirements of the project. At the end of July, 104 companies participated. Public-private demonstration testing will begin this fall.
Other countries, including Switzerland and the United Kingdom, are also considering introducing automated logistics routes. It is undeniable that many challenges, particularly in terms of costs, must be overcome before logistics routes can become a reality.
However, if the concept can be put into practice, it could potentially give rise to a new logistics infrastructure industry in Japan. There are also prospects for the expansion of such an industry in foreign markets. Hopefully this will indeed become a new growth industry.
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Author: Editorial BoardThe Sankei Shimbun
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