The government has decided at a cabinet meeting to set April 1, 2026, as the effective date for the provisions of the "Act to Amend Part of the Motor Vehicle Transportation Business Act" (Amended Act), which was promulgated in June of this year, that regulate shippers and others involved in illegal "white trucks" (unlicensed trucks) and limit the number of consignment orders.
Under the revised law, shippers who entrust transportation to illegal unlicensed truck operators will now be subject to penalties. Violators will be fined up to 100 million yen, and the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism can issue requests or recommendations to shippers suspected of such violations, with the company name being made public in the case of a recommendation.
Furthermore, freight trucking companies and freight forwarding companies are required to make efforts to limit the number of subcontractings to two or fewer.
The current regulations, such as the obligation to provide written documents when concluding a transportation contract, which are currently imposed only on freight trucking operators, will now also be imposed on freight forwarding operators.
