Japan has entered the field-testing stage of its "automated logistics road" plan about two years after announcing it, replacing human-driven trucks with unmanned carriers that move palletized freight around the clock.
Dedicated Lanes Where Only Carriers Run at 70-80 Kilometers per Hour The automated logistics road concept calls for creating dedicated freight space in highway medians, on shoulders or underground.
The design is meant to break up these frequent, less-than-truckload shipments into pallet units and move them without interruption along the automated logistics road.
The ministry estimates that the automated logistics road could cover up to 22% of the projected 900 million metric ton shortfall in transport volume in fiscal 2030.
Major domestic logistics companies including CJ Logistics, Hanjin and Coupang Logistics Services are pressing ahead with autonomous driving technology.