Japan’s ‘conveyor road’ aims to ease driver shortage and cut emissions

Japan plans to build an automated freight transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed the “conveyor road” by the government, to help fill a shortage of truck drivers.

The amount of funding for the project has not yet been determined, but it is seen as one way to help the country cope with growing supply volumes.

The government’s CGI video shows large boxes on wheels driving along a three-lane corridor, also called a “highway,” in the middle of a major highway. The trial system should begin test runs in 2027 or early 2028, with full operation planned by the mid-2030s.

“We need to be innovative in our approach to roads,” said Yuri Endo, the senior deputy director overseeing the work at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

In addition to offsetting the reduction in workforce and the need to reduce the workload of drivers, the system will also help reduce carbon emissions, she said.

“The key concept of the highway is to create dedicated spaces in the road network for logistics using a 24/7 automated and unmanned transport system,” Endo said.