Press Release
January 27, 2022
SENKO Co., Ltd.

Departure Ceremony Held for "A-double Truck"- Achieving laborsaving and carbon-free long-distance transportation SENKO Co., Ltd. (Head office, Kita-ku, Osaka; President, Yasuhisa Fukuda; “SENKO”) held a departure
ceremony at Fujitec's TOKYO FIT (Ota-ku, Tokyo) on January 26 for an “A-double truck,” a truck configuration
operated by a single driver capable of transporting two large trailers of cargo.

Cutting the ribbon(from left: SENKO Director and Managing Executive Officer Toshihiro Kawai, Fujitec Executive Officer andLogistics Department Manager Tadahisa Nakayama, SENKO Executive Officer and Director Noboru Ogoshi,Asahi Kasei Homes Construction Department Logistics Manager Toru Hashi, SENKO Executive Officer SeijiKono)

A-double truck
As issues related to labor shortages become worse with the increasing age of truck drivers, and law reforms
coming into effect from 2024 reducing the working hours of drivers by one hour per day, the current methods
used for long-distance transportation will make smooth deliveries increasingly difficult, resulting in potential
bottlenecks with economic activities.

Press Release
January 27, 2022
SENKO Co., Ltd.

Overview of Operation

To Amagasaki

To Amagasaki < ToHikone

To Amagasaki

To Atsugi

To Hikone

SENKO Atsugi Branch Atsugi LC

To Haneda

To Amagasaki

To Haneda

Fujitec Big Wing (Hyogo)

To Amagasaki

To Atsugi

Shin-Tōmei Expressway Hamamatsu-Inasa IC
Off-street Parking Area
(Docking station)

To Haneda

To Amagasaki

To Haneda

To Hikone

Fujitec Tokyo Depot (Haneda)

To Atsugi

Asahi Kasei Homes Atsugi BC (Atsugi)

Coupling/Uncoupling

ChangeDriver

To Atsugi

Main SENKO Hanshin Branches, Hanshin Truck Center

Fujitec Osaka Depot (Amagasaki)

Asahi Kasei Homes Kansai BC(Amagasaki)

Coupling/Uncoupling

A solution to address this is one of the Logistics Bus service options announced in a March 2021 press
release, with the start of operations of A-double trucks capable of transporting two large trailers of cargo overlong distances by a single driver. This transportation system uses the dolly* method, where two separate
trailers of cargo are coupled together as an A-double truck at a SENKO logistics site. A single driver thentransports the cargo over a long distance on the expressway to an A-double truck docking station, where thedriver changes to a return truck and drives it back to where the trailers are uncoupled again. The cargo is thenseparated into the large truck and semi-trailer, and driven to separate destinations. This system helps toreduce driver working time as well as cut down on the amount of CO 2 emissions.

10 t x 2 separate trailers

To Fujitec Haneda

To Asahi Kasei Homes AtsugiAtsugiSENKOSENKO

To Asahi Kasei Homes Atsugi
Separate the front and rear trailers
SENKO

SENKO

To Fujitec Haneda
Separate the dolly
SENKO

Couple to semi-trailer

HanedaDepart Amagasaki

Atsugi decoupling site (time approx. 20 min.)Japan’s First Mainline Transportation Service provided by SENKO
Trailers on long-distance mainline routes (via expressway) are coupled
together and transported by a single driver. This is then decoupled into aseparate 10 t truck and semi-trailer, and can be driven to separate
delivery destinations.
This A-double truck configuration began transporting cargo between two participating companies, Asahi
Kasei Homes Corporation (Head office, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President, Fumitoshi Kawabata) and Fujitec Co.,
Ltd. (Head office, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture; President, Koichi Uchiyama). This was the first time an A-double
truck was separated mid-way in Japan so that each trailer can be transported to customers in separate
destinations.
SENKO is planning to increase the use of A-double trucks to build a next-generation long-distancetransportation network.

Press Release
January 27, 2022
SENKO Co., Ltd.
* Dolly method: Used for coupling or uncoupling trailers with a connector (dolly). This A-double truck has asemi-trailer connected to the dolly at the rear of a 10-ton truck.

Effects of Operation
Reduction in driving hours

Reduction in CO2 emissions

Driving hours/year
6,440 hours

CO2 emissions/year

3,908 hours

Before start of B-double bus
service
Driving time reduced by

Before start of B-double
bus service
Emissions reduced by

2,532 hours

163.2 t-CO2

approx.

40%

approx.

30%

Effects (daily)

Before Start

After Start

ResultEffects (annual)

Before Start

After Start

ResultNo. trucks

5 trucks

3 trucks-2 trucks

No. trucks

1,200 trucks

720 trucks-480 trucks

No. drivers

5 drivers

3 drivers-2 drivers

No. drivers

1,200 drivers

720 drivers-480 drivers

6,440 hours

3,908 hours-2,532 hours

Driving distanceDriving distanceCO2 emissions

CO2 emissions
Driving time

Difference

26 hours 50 minutes

16 hours 17 minutes-10 hours 33 minutes

Driving time

<Related Link>- March 23, 2021 Press release“New Logistics Bus, Long-distance Mainline Transportation Service Now Available”- Helping Solve Problems in the Transportation Industry https://www.senkogrouphd.co.jp/en/about/news/assets/d709c83817fd5959394b86c1de3d1e76239a9148.pdf