Japan plans automated cargo transport system to relieve shortage of drivers and cut emissions

TOKYO -- Japan is readying to build an automated cargo carrier corridor betwixt Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed a “conveyor loop road” by nan government, to dress up for a shortage of motortruck drivers.

The magnitude of backing for nan task is not yet set. But it's seen arsenic 1 cardinal measurement to thief nan state header pinch soaring deliveries.

A computer graphics video made by nan authorities shows big, wheeled boxes moving on a three-lane corridor, besides called an “auto travel road,” successful nan mediate of a large highway. A proceedings strategy is owed to commencement trial runs successful 2027 aliases early 2028, aiming for afloat operations by nan mid-2030s.

“We request to beryllium innovative pinch nan measurement we attack roads,” said Yuri Endo, a elder lawman head overseeing nan effort astatine nan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Apart from making up for a shrinking labour force and nan request to trim workloads for drivers, nan strategy besides will thief trim carbon emissions, she said.

“The cardinal conception of nan car flow-road is to create dedicated spaces wrong nan roadworthy web for logistics, utilizing a 24-hour automated and unmanned proscription system,” Endo said.

The scheme whitethorn sound for illustration a solution that would only activity successful comparatively low-crime, densely populated societies for illustration Japan, not sprawling nations for illustration nan U.S. But akin ideas are being considered successful Switzerland and Great Britain. The scheme successful Switzerland involves an underground pathway, while nan 1 being planned successful London will beryllium a afloat automated strategy moving connected low-cost linear motors.

In Japan, loading will beryllium automated, utilizing forklifts, and coordinated pinch airports, railways and ports.

The boxes measurement 180 centimeters successful height, aliases astir six feet, and are 110 centimeters, aliases 3.6 feet, by 110 centimeters successful width and length, astir nan size of a large closet.

The system, which is besides intended for business deliveries, whitethorn beryllium expanded to different routes if each goes well. Human drivers whitethorn still person to do last-mile deliveries to people's doors, though driverless exertion whitethorn beryllium utilized successful nan future.

Japan's shortage of motortruck drivers is worsening owed to laws that took effect earlier this twelvemonth that limit nan magnitude of overtime drivers tin log. That's seen arsenic basal to debar overwork and accidents and to make nan jobs tolerable, but successful Japanese logistics, authorities and proscription circles, it’s known arsenic nan “2024 problem.”

Under existent conditions, Japan's wide carrier capacity will plunge by 34% by 2030, according to authorities estimates. The home carrier capacity stands astatine astir 4.3 cardinal metric tons, almost all, aliases much than 91%, by trucks, according to nan Japan Trucking Association.

That's a fraction of what's moving successful a monolithic state for illustration nan U.S. About 5.2 trillion ton-miles of freight are transported successful nan United States each year, and that's projected to scope much than 8 trillion ton-miles of freight by 2050. A ton-mile measures nan magnitude of freight shipped and really acold it’s moved, pinch nan modular portion being 1 ton being moved 1 mile.

Demand for deliveries from online shopping surged during nan pandemic, pinch users jumping from astir 40% of Japanese households to much than 60%, according to authorities data, moreover arsenic nan wide organization keeps declining arsenic nan birth complaint falls.

As is existent successful astir places, motortruck drivers person reliable jobs requiring them to beryllium connected nan roadworthy for days astatine a time, activity that astir jobseekers find unappealing.

In caller years, yearly fatalities from transportation trucks crashing connected roads person hovered astatine astir 1,000 deaths. That's improved from astir 2,000 deaths successful 2010, but nan Trucking Association, which groups immoderate 400 trucking businesses and organizations successful nan nation, would for illustration to make deliveries moreover safer.

The relation is besides urging consumers to clasp backmost connected transportation orders aliases astatine slightest bundle their orders. Some manufacture experts are urging businesses to limit free transportation offers.

Trucks transportation astir 90% of Japan’s cargo, and astir 60% of Japan’s caller produce, for illustration fruits and vegetables, travel from distant places requiring trucking, according to Yuji Yano, a professor astatine nan Ryutsu Keizai University, which is funded? by deliveries elephantine Nippon Express Co., now called NX Holdings, and focuses connected economics and wide arts studies, including trucking problems.

“That intends nan 2024 problem isn’t conscionable a proscription problem but really a people’s problem,” Yano said.

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Yuri Kageyama is connected X: https://x.com/yurikageyama