Japan OKs bill to ease burden on truck drivers amid labor shortage

imposing a fine of up to 1 million yen if they do not follow the state order to make improvements.

I wonder whether the threat of a fine of 1 million yen ($6,600) will have an impact.

More documentation created and more paperwork produced...a brilliant solution!

Having multiple subcontractors has become normalized within the industry, with the value of contracts decreasing as the work is passed on and middlemen take their cuts.

I think most Japanese workers, who actually work, would like to be reincarnated into this parasitic middleman class; from logistics to real estate and other industries.

Seems the next best thing to being independently wealthy.

When these drivers are put out of work in a few years by automation, those middlemen will probably still remain in some capacity.

They'll never enforce it and/or the truck companies will just find another way around it. Business as usual for Japan inc

So nothing about throwing their urine filled plastic bottles out the window?

Having multiple subcontractors has become normalized within the industry, with the value of contracts decreasing as the work is passed on and middlemen take their cuts.

Firms will also be required to document the details of the outsourced work, including the cost and whether it includes sorting the goods and compensation for such work, to ensure subcontractors are compensated accordingly.

Creating middleman company is not that hard, just need to provide an address, an admin staff to handle paper works and good connections with organization or companies that providing contract works.

Being passed over and over, at the end they really need cheap Vietnamese labor and driver to fulfil their greedy apatite for profit as middleman.

This country should be moving far more domestic freight traffic by train than it currently does. Most of the mainlines are electrified. Far more efficient than all these filthy dangerous trucks.

Any time the government looks to increase pay, the opposite happens.

The process sometimes means the prime contractor is unaware of what firm is responsible for transporting its goods.

This should never happen. If I am a customer and I contact my supplier, the "main contractor" here, and they have no idea where my goods are, I think I would have second thoughts about using this contractor in the future!

Subcontractors must be paid per delivery and the truck driver will be paid also the same way. I think hourly pay is not realistic when the truck delivery is cross region that takes long hours to arrive the destination.

It's called work ethics, and if the presidents owners contractors leaders don't have it in their blood, NO law or set of laws will change their wicked behaviors.

@Yubaru

This should never happen. If I am a customer and I contact my supplier, the "main contractor" here, and they have no idea where my goods are, I think I would have second thoughts about using this contractor in the future!

They supposed to be in charge for responsible until those goods received by you however they just move their responsible to contractor. They just want the money but not full responsibility, as customer no need to handle subcontractor at all.

So nothing about throwing their urine filled plastic bottles out the window?

yeah, see those all the time too. Makes little sense when there are bathrooms every 15 km on the expressway.

It sounds like waiting at a loading dock for 1 or 2 hours is currently goes in the log book as time worked instead of allowing drivers to log that as break time.

This country should be moving far more domestic freight traffic by train than it currently does. Most of the mainlines are electrified.

I guess you have not heard but Japan is an island nation that has a lot of mountains. It therefore makes more sense to move things by either ship or truck.

"Japan OKs bill to ease burden on truck drivers amid labor shortage"

i am not a language grammar expert, but the word "ok" is a formal verb to be used here? no offense, i am asking on behalf of my wife

I hope they'll do this system for English teachers in Japan where the the dispatch company is getting more moolah than the actual English teachers.

It should be a 1 million yen fine per employee affected (not just a total of one million yen).

Increase wages. Simple.

Add some driver education to this move too, and enforce the current rules.

Tailgating on the highways, speeding in the towns and villages, parking on the slip roads to highway exits and car parks, pulling out and then indicating their intention, etc..

I am urged to say : OK, hardly nothing will change.

960hous capped per year, 18.46hours per week if no holiday. 2.64h per day of working everyday !

Slavery is running up and well.

In the meantime, if no pain no gain.

Any slightest strike would be a win I wonder why nothing is happening.

It's a good begginning..

No more bottles of pee along the highway, please!

Let Kissida N LDP Drive Truck For Living On 2.6 Hours Pay Day N Make A Living Then He Will Realize

As long as the main contractor is fully liable for its subcontractors I don’t see a problem.

The same is happening for workers at the Fukushima nuclear disaster site with several main contractors and then many levels of subcontractors which means the workers are not getting the money they should be getting.

In New Zealand, heavy vehicle drivers can legally work 70 hours before taking a 24 hour break.

Maximum working hours per day is 13. 5 hours, 30 minutes. Then a 30 min break, same again followed by the final 2 hours.

factcheckerFeb. 14  07:41 am JST

This country should be moving far more domestic freight traffic by train than it currently does. Most of the mainlines are electrified. Far more efficient than all these filthy dangerous trucks.

So get rid of commuter trains?

Do you have any idea how many trucks/packages move everyday????

I drive for a living. Trains are not the answer. Unless they're willing to demolish half the motorways for train lines.

I know for a fact that Sagawa uses train lines daily (under contract) yet that doesn't make a dent in the amount of packages moved daily.

It sounds like waiting at a loading dock for 1 or 2 hours is currently goes in the log book as time worked instead of allowing drivers to log that as break time.

From someone who drove trucks and also dispatched for one of the big global freight companies, it is generally illegal to force drivers to log waiting time at a loading dock as "off duty". Off duty means the driver has no obligation to remain with the truck and is free to go home or anywhere else. That is not how it works when you are waiting at a dock to unload or load. You have to remain with your vehicle and often move forward every few minutes as you advance in line. The driver is not free to leave. Companies would love to be able to allow their drivers to log that time as "off duty" so they can drag more time out of their drivers per shift and also not pay them for that time logged as "off duty". in the US time spent loading, unloading or doing other work that doesn't involve driving has to be logged as "On duty not driving" and counts towards total duty hours allowed for the day and for the maximum of 70 hours over a rolling 8 day period.

This country should be moving far more domestic freight traffic by train than it currently does. Most of the mainlines are electrified. Far more efficient than all these filthy dangerous trucks.

Rail freight transport only makes economic sense for big shipments going from one destination to another. Most of what ends up on a train had to be sent from the origin to the rail head by truck to be loaded on a train. At the other end, unless the freight is being loaded on a ship, it ends up being put on another truck for final delivery. In practice it is faster and less costly to ship point to point by truck.

Also consider that all of your retail outlets, gas stations, Lawsons and the like are not typically adjacent rail lines. They are all served by truck. Think about how difficult it would be to change that fact. Almost every aspect of every city would change and the maze of rail lines and street level rail crossings. would be I think more objectionable than the current volume of truck traffic. I remember a time when Los Angeles had freight rail lines down the middle of streets. Trains running down streets at night. It was idiotic and everyone was relieved to see those go away. Rail lines in the street are scary for bicycles and motorcycles, but even car tires were treacherous in the rain or on wet foggy nights. Plus the rail car had to be left in the street and freight moved to or from the rail car to or from the business by fork lifts running in the streets, trying to make moves through gaps in traffic and often holding up traffic.

Been there done that.