06:31 04-08-2026
T2’s Level 2 Truck Handles 560 km of a 680 km Pharma Delivery in Japan
A Level 2 autonomous truck hauled Earth Pharmaceutical’s Mondamin mouthwash across 680 km between Ibaraki and Hyogo, testing a same-day round trip ahead of Level 4 in 2027.
A truck equipped with an automated driving system carried cargo for Earth Pharmaceutical between Ibaraki and Hyogo prefectures over a route of roughly 680 km. The trial was declared a success, but the run wasn’t fully driverless: T2 used a Level 2 vehicle, meaning a driver stayed in the cab, monitored the road, and remained responsible for control.
The trial ran from July 21 to 23, 2026. The cargo was Mondamin mouthwash, shuttled between Earth Pharmaceutical’s warehouse in the city of Koga and its factory in Ako.
The route was split into several legs. A regular Suzuyo truck covered the initial stretch of about 120 km. T2’s vehicle handled the remaining roughly 560 km between logistics hubs, with about 440 km of that on the expressway driven in automated mode. So the figures 440, 560, and 680 km aren’t contradictory — they describe different segments of the same transport chain.
The companies tested not just the electronics, but cargo transfers, schedule coordination, and whether a full round trip between the two regions could be completed in a single day. Right now, one driver can typically cover only one direction per shift. Once Level 4 arrives, the truck could theoretically make the return leg without constant human control, at least doubling capacity.
This trial hasn’t proven that yet, though. Level 2 is a driver-assistance system, while Level 4 allows the vehicle to drive itself only under predefined conditions on a prepared route. T2 aims to launch Level 4 trunk-line transport from fiscal 2027.
The company already runs commercial Level 2 hauls on select routes. Moving to Level 4 will require not just upgraded trucks, but remote monitoring, equipped terminals, breakdown protocols, and coordination with road authorities.
Next comes assessing schedule stability and delivery quality. Only after that will Earth Pharmaceutical and Suzuyo consider moving from a one-off trial to regular commercial operation.