Second Call for Small Logistics Labor Productivity and Tailgate Lifter Support
Overview
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will conduct a second call for applications for the FY2025 supplementary-budget project supporting labor productivity improvements at small logistics operators through the introduction of tailgate lifters and other equipment. Applications are scheduled to be accepted from Monday, September 28, 2026, through Friday, November 27, 2026. The project will subsidize part of the expenses required by small truck transport operators and others for equipment introduction, operational efficiency improvements, management capability enhancement, and human-resources recruitment and development.
Key points
- A second call for applications will be conducted for the project supporting labor productivity improvements at small logistics operators through the introduction of tailgate lifters and other equipment.
- The application acceptance period is scheduled to run from Monday, September 28, through Friday, November 27, 2026.
- The project supports vehicle-efficiency equipment, operational efficiency improvements, management capability enhancement, and human-resources recruitment and development.
- The project supports one-half or one-quarter of the introduction costs and other eligible expenses.
Overview
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will conduct a second call for applications for the project under the FY2025 supplementary budget and begin accepting applications on Monday, September 28, 2026. Its purpose is to achieve structural improvements in the management of small truck transport operators.
The support fields are the introduction of vehicle-efficiency equipment and related measures, operational efficiency improvements, management capability enhancement, and human-resources recruitment and development. The organization responsible for administering the subsidy project is Japan Management Association Consultants, Inc.
Impact
Eligible operators and others will receive subsidies covering part of the introduction costs and other eligible expenses. However, no subsidy may be awarded if the total amount requested exceeds the available budget.
Details
Eligible applicants are small truck transport operators and others that implement the introduction of eligible equipment and related measures between September 28 and November 27, 2026. Depending on the project, collaborating shipper companies, warehouse operators, prime-contractor truck transport operators, leasing operators that lend the eligible systems to shipper companies, and human-resources development institutions are also eligible for subsidies.
Eligible measures are: 1) vehicle-efficiency equipment, including tailgate lifters, truck-mounted cranes, two-tier loading decks for trucks, and double-connected trucks; 2) operational efficiency improvements, including logistics collaboration optimization systems, operational efficiency systems, and vehicle operation management systems; 3) management capability enhancement, including cost-management systems and mergers and acquisitions; and 4) human-resources recruitment and development, including recruitment activities, human-resources development, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle and towing licenses, forklift operator qualifications, and training for converting foreign licenses. Vehicle operation management systems must be introduced simultaneously with a logistics collaboration optimization system or an operational efficiency system, requiring a duplicate application.