Japan Post announced Tuesday that it will extend the delivery time frame for Yu-Pack parcels and express mail — including Letter Pack envelopes — in certain regions starting April 1, with potential delays ranging from half a day to a full day, to cope with stricter regulations on truck drivers’ working hours.

For example, a Yu-Pack sent from a post office in Tokyo to Yamaguchi Prefecture would typically arrive the afternoon of the following day. However, beginning in April, it will arrive in the morning of the day after next.

Japan Post attributed the changes to long-distance routes that are currently handled by a single driver switching to a relay-type system using multiple drivers.

The adjustments will affect routes covering the regions of Tohoku to Chubu and Kansai, and from Kanto to Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu. Approximately 3.4% of Yu-Pack deliveries and 0.2% of express mail shipments will experience delays, while delivery times for regular mail, Yu-Packet small-size parcels and registered mail will remain unchanged.

Additionally, starting in April, users ordering Yu-Pack services will not be able to specify preferred delivery times during certain evening hours. The special 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. time slot will be discontinued, although the standard 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. slot will remain available.

Japan Post is not alone in adjusting its services. For instance, in June 2023, Yamato Transport was forced to extend the delivery time for its TA-Q-BIN service by one day in select areas, such as the route between the Kanto region and the Chugoku and Shikoku regions.

These changes come in response to what logistics companies are calling the "2024 Problem” — tighter regulations on truck drivers’ working hours that begin in April. The reforms, mandated by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, will restrict truck drivers' annual overtime to 960 hours and require them to take a break of 11 hours between shifts in principle, up from eight hours.

The impact of these reforms is already palpable in the transport and logistics sectors, amid growing concerns over driver shortages.