An aging population and driver shortages are fueling demand for autonomous trucking in Japan, where a partnership between Plus and Tokyo-based TIER IV is helping support the government’s Autonomy 2.0 efforts to operate Level 4 autonomous trucks on Japan’s expressways.

A combination of market and regulatory factors is driving Japanese investment in autonomous trucking, said Christian John, President, TIER IV North America. The government has limited the number of overtime hours drivers can be behind the wheel. Increased demand for transportation services, driven in part by an uptick in home delivery, is also putting pressure on the system.

“By 2023, if trends continue, there is going to be approximately a 35% gap in the number of available drivers compared to the demand,” John said. (....)