According to Japanese media tracking, it takes 20 trucks to transport a rice ball from its origin of rice, seaweed, and other ingredients to the store, highlighting the reliance on truck transportation. Starting from April 1st, Japan has strengthened regulations on truck drivers’ overtime, leading to a shortage of manpower in the logistics industry, which will impact food transportation. As a result, the Japanese convenience store chains Lawson and FamilyMart have decided to collaborate and start sharing trucks for goods delivery.
Reported by the Central News Agency, the transportation industry in Japan is facing the “Logistics 2024 Issue.” Since April 1st, the legal regulations on the maximum working hours for truck drivers have become stricter, resulting in a reduction of the time truck drivers can spend delivering goods in a day.
Under the latest regulations, the annual overtime limit for truck drivers is 960 hours. The actual working hours per day, excluding breaks, are limited to within 13 hours. Additionally, for long-distance transport requiring overnight stays, it is limited to twice a week, with a mandatory 8 hours of rest time… these regulations have effectively shortened the actual working hours for truck drivers.
How will these new regulations affect the transportation industry in Japan and even the lives of ordinary people? NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, analyzed a production process of a konbu rice ball to explore the impact.
Investigations show that for a konbu rice ball sold in Tokyo, the konbu filling comes from the Hidaka region of Hokkaido, the seaweed is produced in Saga Prefecture, and the rice comes from the Kanto-Koshin region.
Tracing the production of the rice ball, the konbu first needs to be transported by truck to Otaru Port, then shipped by a cargo ship to Niigata Port, transferred to a truck, and sent to a factory in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, 600 kilometers away. After processing here, it is shipped to Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, 500 kilometers away for packaging and boxing. By this point, 3 trucks have already been used, followed by another 3 trucks for distribution to logistics centers and other locations.
Meanwhile, the seaweed from Saga Prefecture is transported by 8 trucks to a factory in Kanagawa Prefecture. The rice is sent from producing farms to the factory, involving 4 trucks. After all ingredients are gathered and processed in Kanagawa Prefecture, the final product is distributed to various stores by 2 trucks. In total, from ingredient transportation, processing, and distribution, it takes 20 trucks to deliver one rice ball to consumers.
Japan relies on trucks to transport goods other than rice balls. According to reports, in the 2021 fiscal year, Japan’s domestic transportation volume reached 4.25 billion tons, with trucks accounting for 90%, serving as the arteries supporting the economy and daily life.
Although the purpose of the new regulations is to protect truck drivers from overwork, concerns arise over the impact of reduced transport volume. According to the private think tank NX Research Institute, without intervention, the transport capacity for this fiscal year may decrease by 14% compared to 2019.
The Japanese truck transportation industry has long relied on drivers working long hours. Now, it must ensure transportation capacity while reducing driver working hours.
In response, Lawson and FamilyMart have initiated a collaboration starting from April, sharing trucks to transport ice cream and frozen foods in certain areas of Tohoku region. Trucks first load goods at a FamilyMart logistics center in Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, then at a Lawson logistics base in Morioka City, delivering to various convenience stores in Akita City. Compared to individual transport, one truck can save 120 kilometers in driving distance.
Lawson has also partnered with the food delivery service of “Wamukin.” Since December last year, Lawson has reduced the daily delivery frequency of bento boxes and food from three times to two times, utilizing excess space in trucks to assist in delivering “Wamukin” food.
In fact, the inefficiency of truck transportation has long been criticized for its waste. According to surveys, the actual average loading rate of trucks is only about 40%, with criticisms of “transporting air” 60% of the time. Increasing the loading rate through coordination between industries and different businesses may become a solution to the “Logistics 2024 Issue.”