“Guidelines for Improvement of Working Conditions and Reducing Overtime Work through Cooperation between Consignors and Transportation Businesses in the Distribution Industry Involving Paper and Pulp (in the Field of Paper and Paperboard)” Formulated

1. Background to formulating the Guidelines

The truck transportation industry is facing a serious driver shortage. To overcome this, the ministries conducted a survey and identified three fields of transportation in which drivers should address longer wait times before receiving cargo. In particular: processed foods, construction materials and paper and pulp. Based on this survey’s result, the ministries inaugurated round-tables for each category of items of goods to be transported in order to reduce the overtime among truck drivers in these three fields and since then, the round tables held meetings and discussions on related issues.

As an outcome of discussions at the five meetings held by the Round Table on Paper and Paperboard, the ministries formulated the Guidelines.

As the paper industry is expected to face a decrease in the volume of cargo due to the advancement of digitalization of printing media, it is urgent that the industry revises its conventional trade practices, e.g., receiving orders with insufficient lead time and delivering products in small quantities in  high frequencies, which imposes a heavy burden on the distribution industry. To overcome this challenge, the ministries will encourage stakeholders in supply chains to: tackle efforts for enhancing the efficiency of distribution in a steady manner while referring to the Guidelines; and promote efforts for making supply chains in the fields of paper and paperboard sustainable.

2. Explanations of details of the Guidelines: Characteristics of the challenges in the distribution industry involving paper and pulp (in the field of paper and paperboard) and major measures for overcoming the challenges

Characteristics of the challenges

Companies in the paper industry have been facing difficulties in differentiation of their products from competitors since paper used for books or magazines and cardboard has little room for improvements in quality by research and development. Accordingly, they have been competing with each other in fields other than products, e.g., lead time and methods of delivering products, and as a result, such trade practices as receiving orders with insufficient lead time and delivering products in small quantities in high frequencies, have become established and this increases the burden on the transportation businesses and their drivers.

Major measures therefor

• The paper industry should tackle productivity improvement by securing sufficient lead time, e.g., enhancing efficiencies in allocation of vehicles and improving loading ratios;
• It should improve efficiencies in delivering products in small quantities in high frequencies by adopting measures such as leveling the volume of cargo and embarking on joint transportation; etc.

3. Website on which the Guidelines and materials of the Round Table on Paper and Paperboard are posted

To access the Guidelines and the materials of the round table, visit the following site.
 

• MLIT site (in Japanese).

Division in Charge

Material Industries Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau