Japanese Logistics: Autonomous shipping saves the day

Concerns are abound about the repercussions of Japan’s new restrictions on truck drivers’ working hours, which began on 1 April 2024—the logistics sector’s “2024 problem”*. A number of potential solutions are being floated with focus on how digital transformation can be deployed to win greater efficiencies. As exploration of using autonomous trucks moves ahead, interest is also building for a modal shift to rail and maritime transport.

There are hurdles to the deployment of autonomous trucks. Plans are afoot to install dedicated lanes for them on the Shin-Tomei Expressway, but there are none in the works for nationwide coverage. A shift to rail isn’t trouble free either. Though JR Freight is working to bolster capacity, railroad tracks physically limit how far it can extend routes, and train timetables impose constraints as well. A complete switch from trucks to rail is not in the cards.

There is a way around these snags: Do with maritime transport what can’t be done with overland transport. Ships can haul huge volumes, so especially ferries and cargo vessels with roll-on/roll-off decks for wheeled vehicles—RORO ships—hold great promise. Ferries can give truck drivers a chance to rest up while putting huge distances behind them, and RORO ships carrying trucks without their drivers could help cut individual truckers’ time on the road by permitting another driver to take over the freight at the ship’s destination by loading and unloading detachable trailers at both ends of the seabound journey. This would help reduce the working hours of truck drivers while maintaining transport capacity. Sagawa Express, a parcel-delivery major, is already teaming up with the MOL Sunflower, a ferry company, to deploy RORO ships to move parcels between the Kanto region in Japan’s east and Kyushu in its west.

Meanwhile, like the land transportation industry, the maritime transport sector is about to find itself short of hands. About half of its seafarers who cover domestic waters are over 50 years old, and with the most experienced cohorts about to leave the workforce en masse, there are concerns that the sector won’t be able to accommodate the transport demand down the road.

Autonomous ships offer a solution. Development to allow machines to take over onboard tasks like steering and lookout is intended to reduce crew workloads and human error, a major factor in accidents. A successful trial* has demonstrated that, under the proper conditions, autonomous ships can navigate safely without human intervention. Autonomous navigation technology promises to keep maritime transport sailing despite any future crew shortages, which enables the industry to maintain current cargo volumes.

The ferries and RORO ships operating in Japan’s waters are mainly large vessels (average gross tonnage exceeds 10,000 tonnes) that regulations require to have a crew of around 10 who work in shifts because of the many hours under way. Deploying autonomous navigation systems will provide huge advantages by reducing the total volume of human tasks and making it possible to sail with fewer hands aboard. Such reductions also promise to enhance worker retention by plugging the workforce drain tough working conditions cause.

A hurdle to full deployment of autonomous ships on real-world shipping routes is that once certain safety and reliability aspects of the technology have been enhanced, current rules mandating crew numbers will have to be revised. Also, steps are needed to ensure that the costs of deployment and operation will be of a level acceptable to vessel owners and operators as well as their customers, including shippers and logistics businesses.

The Nippon Foundation has initiated a new demonstration project to verify autonomous navigation systems’ viability in commercial operating conditions with a plan to conduct testing in 2025.* Mitsubishi Research Institute is heavily involved with the project, alongside other consortium members of over 50 companies, particularly to help resolve safety and business issues that might crop up.