Japan trucking sector eyes drivers from Indonesia, Vietnam amid shortage

Transportation companies can hire skilled foreign workers under special visa

20250318N sakai moving truck

Sakai Moving Service will welcome drivers from Indonesia this August. (Photo by Nikkei)

KATSUYUKI TANIMOTO and KAI ISHIZAKI

OSAKA/TOKYO -- Logistics and transportation companies in Japan have begun recruiting foreign nationals as drivers now that their industries qualify for a special employment visa amid a severe labor shortage.

To obtain the "specified skills" qualification in automotive transportation, a candidate must pass an examination on Japanese traffic rules and industry-specific cargo-loading methods. The exam was offered for the first time in December 2024, and more than 200 people have passed.

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