KUALA LUMPUR - Sakai Moving Service Co. plans to train truck drivers in Indonesia and recruit them to Japan to address worsening labour shortages in the logistics sector.

Company officials said the Indonesian drivers will be prepared to work immediately under Japan’s specified skilled worker system, as reported by The Asahi Shimbun.

The firm will collaborate with partners, including PT Daisan Minori Indonesia to establish a “Sakai academy” training facility in West Java.

The academy will provide instruction in the Japanese language, driving skills and workplace practices.

Trainees will also learn Japan’s traffic rules and safety standards at a Japanese-style driving course set up in October 2025.

The programme is scheduled to begin in June, with around 300 drivers to be trained over five years.

“We have got around to making this big step.

“We will further promote efforts to create a mechanism that will allow foreign personnel to have long careers in Japan and to provide cordial services that will win the trust of our customers,” said Sakai Moving President Tetsuyasu Tajima at a news conference in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on March 12.

The company currently employs about 3,000 drivers and handles more than 810,000 moving jobs annually.

While it has sufficient manpower for current demand, it aims to expand its domestic market share, which remains below 20 per cent.

An ageing workforce and declining turnover rates have prompted the company to adopt a more proactive hiring strategy.

Senior executive officer Atsushi Tatekawa said the overseas training base marks a shift towards expansion.

The initiative is also intended to meet peak seasonal demand, particularly during the busy months of March and April.

Japan’s logistics sector has been grappling with persistent labour shortages amid a shrinking and ageing population.

Regulatory changes have also capped driver overtime at 960 hours annually, further tightening labour supply.

Data from the National Police Agency shows that the number of holders of Class 1 large vehicle licences fell to 3,987,111 in 2024 from 4,422,859 in 2004.

The number of licence holders aged 39 or younger declined by more than 60 per cent over the same period.

In response, the government added the automobile transportation sector to the specified skilled worker programme in 2024 to attract foreign labour.

Sakai Moving began hiring Indonesian drivers under the scheme in September 2025, with 20 workers starting jobs in February.

Previously, recruits required several months to convert their driving licences after arriving in Japan.

Under the new training system, drivers will complete preparations in Indonesia, enabling them to begin work immediately upon arrival.