Japan has one of the world’s most complex road environments. Historically, the confusing and fragmented network of streets served as a territorial defense. The country’s topography, space constraints and strict local road rules make it one of the most difficult places to scale an autonomous fleet.
For a leader in embodied AI, breaking into this market called for operational precision that met both internal safety goals and strict local regulations. Success in autonomous vehicle (AV) commercial deployment depended on building a team that understood both the technology and local nuance — a savvy group of bilingual experts who could sit behind the wheel and provide real-time data inputs and interventions to improve the software and safety features.
The challenge
A model that couldn’t scale
The company’s initial attempt to scale in Japan revealed a gap between what the market demanded and what its existing partner could deliver. The former partner operated more like a staffing agency, sourcing people but not providing capabilities.
Having to manage coaching and team development pulled the focus away from the company’s core mission of advancing the technology. And given how specialized these roles were, that was a significant burden.
Without a partner who could own the entire process, building a team capable of meeting the demands of the region, as the speed of growth, wouldn’t be possible.
The solution
A fully managed AV program
From driver ops to depot management, the company turned to TaskUs to take control of the process. Rather than adapting a generic model to fit, we built a program designed around the specific demands of Japan’s market.
Getting the knowledge on the ground
The foundation started before a single local hire was made. We flew in seasoned U.S.-based operators, ops leaders and trainers who had supported major AV clients. They stayed on the ground for months — long enough to transfer best practices and localize all training materials. Nothing was assumed to translate directly.
Rethinking the hire
With a strong foundation in place, we shifted focus to building the right team. Safety was the first criterion for hiring, and every operator candidate needed a minimum three-year clean driving record. Beyond that, each hire completed a specialized driving certification run by a local driving school, calibrated to the client’s precise safety requirements.
Experience in the vehicle itself, however, almost became an obstacle. Our data showed that seasoned drivers — former taxi drivers, for example — often struggled with the digital tools central to the role. We adapted the profile toward tech-savvy professionals who could be developed into capable operators, rather than experienced drivers who needed to be retrained.
For depot roles, our internal referral program helped source the bilingual mechanics and technicians the client needed — specialists not easily found through conventional recruiting.
Training that didn’t stop at onboarding
As the project unfolded, we identified the opportunity to expand the roles. Trainers, many of whom came from OEM or automotive backgrounds, could serve a dual function. They both led the learning program and acted as the primary QA team, reviewing video recordings to perform QA checks and identify gaps in the model, or any safety risks in real time.
Because the same people responsible for training were also watching performance on the ground, we caught gaps early and updated materials continuously.
The approach delivered measurable outcomes quickly. Within six months of operations, the Japan program achieved 62%+ fleet optimization — surpassing the U.K., U.S. and Germany markets that have been running for eight, five and two years respectively. The program has recorded zero at-fault claims since the start of operations, runs seven days a week and has scaled by more than 300% on the strength of its performance.
