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Physical Internet Realization Council’s Chemicals Working Group to Promoting Initiatives toward the proper management of truck drivers’ ancillary work and safety improvement of tanker truck loading and unloading


WEBWIRE –

The Chemicals Working Group (Chairman: Professor YANO Yuji, Ryutsu Keizai University) of the Physical Internet Realization Council – a body led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) – is promoting initiatives aimed at “standardizing truck-related operations” and “improving the safety of tanker truck loading and unloading operations” in the chemical logistics sector, based on the amended laws on transportation business that came into force in April 2025 as well as the Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators that came into force in January 2026. The Chemicals Working Group has recently produced leaflets and brochures to help stakeholders better understand the initiative.

The Chemicals Working Group currently includes 86 companies and 1 university, most of them consignors and logistics providers, and sees participation from the Japan Chemical Industry Association, the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association, and several relevant divisions from METI MLIT, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare among other bodies. Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Tosoh Corporation and Toray Industries, Inc. serve as the Group’s joint secretariat.

For further information, please see the following materials.

Initiatives toward the proper management of truck drivers’ ancillary work and safety improvement of tanker truck loading and unloading

The Chemicals Working Group (Chemicals WG)*1 of the Physical Internet Realization Council *2 led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has been promoting initiatives in accordance with the Voluntary Action Plan for the Proper Management and Productivity Improvement of Chemical Logistics that it submitted to the Government in December 2023. Based on the amended laws on transportation business (Amended Logistics Efficiency Act and Amended Motor Truck Transportation Business Act) that came into force in April 2025 as well as the Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators (Amended Act against Delay in Payment of Subcontract Proceeds, etc. to Subcontractors) that came into force in January 2026, the Chemicals WG will promote initiatives toward the proper management of truck drivers’ ancillary work and safety improvement of tanker truck loading and unloading in the logistics of chemicals with the support of the Japan Chemical Industry Association and the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association.

As an increasingly serious shortage of truck drivers is expected, it is vital for consignors and logistics providers to cooperate in establishing a proper and safe work environment in order to maintain a sustainable logistics network. The Chemicals WG will seek the understanding and cooperation of client industries and companies with regard to the following initiatives.

1. Proper management of truck drivers’ ancillary work (Annex 1)

Drivers conducting ancillary work has been a long-time business custom. As the shortage of drivers is expected to further grow due to the so-called 2024 issue, however, it is an urgent issue to promote the proper management of ancillary work that drivers do outside of their core transportation work. As the improvement of this business custom requires coordination with clients as consignors receiving goods, the Voluntary Action Plan Subcommittee consisting of consignors and logistics providers (participation: 51 companies; Leader: Daicel Corporation) held discussions and created this leaflet while also consulting with the relevant ministries and agencies and industry groups as the occasion demanded. Going forward, we as the chemical industry will ask clients for their understanding and cooperation.

Main content

（1）Initiative to abolish drivers’ ancillary work in principle

  • Drivers’ ancillary work (cargo handling using forklifts, transportation tasks on the premises, etc.) shall be abolished in principle.
  • If drivers’ ancillary work is deemed necessary, it shall be consensually conducted after defining the work range and burden of expenses.

（2）Major requests to clients as consignors receiving goods

  • Receive goods on truck
  • Avoid asking drivers to do tasks other than transportation
  • Secure necessary personnel and equipment for receiving goods
  • Cooperate in improving logistics efficiency including palletization
  • Cooperate in managing and collecting packaging materials and logistics equipment in a proper manner
2. Initiative toward safety improvement of tanker truck loading and unloading (Annex 2)

Tanker truck drivers’ loading and unloading work is actually conducted in an unsafe work environment in some cases. Although we have asked for improvement for many years, sufficient improvement has not yet been achieved. It is a consignor’s duty of care for safety to prepare a work environment where drivers can engage in their work safely and securely. In addition, it is required to secure a witnessing system during cargo handling work, take fall prevention measures, and conduct safety management on handling hazardous materials in accordance with the Industrial Safety and Health Act, etc. As these safety measures require cooperation from consignors receiving goods, the Safety and Quality (Lorry) Subcommittee consisting of consignors and logistics providers (participation 17 companies; Leader: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.; Sub-leader: Sankyu Inc.) held discussions and created a pamphlet titled “Request for Safe Handling of Chemical Tanker Trucks” to promote understanding of consignors receiving goods while also consulting with the relevant ministries and agencies and industry groups as the occasion demanded.

Content of the pamphlet
  1. Duty of care for safety
  2. Witnessing during loading and unloading work
  3. Fall prevention
  4. Clarification of responsibility demarcation point
  5. Response to improvement request

Going forward, the Chemicals WG will continue to promote various measures in cooperation with the relevant parties such as relevant ministries and agencies and industry groups in order to maintain safe and stable transportation.

*1 Chemicals Working Group
Chairman: Professor YANO Yuji, Ryutsu Keizai University

Secretariat: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Tosoh Corporation, Toray Industries, Inc.

As of March 2026, participants in this working group include 87 member organizations (86 companies and one university), most of them consignors and logistics providers, along with the Japan Chemical Industry Association, the Japan Petrochemical Industry Association and relevant divisions within METI, MLIT, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Announcement on December 20, 2023: Voluntary Action Plan for the Proper Management and Productivity Improvement of Chemical Logistics

https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/buturyu_kakushin/jk_pdf/28.pdf (Japanese only)

*2 Physical Internet Realization Council An organization established by METI and MLIT in October 2021 to formulate a roadmap for achieving a physical internet in Japan.

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