Doing ‘Moo’re for Milk Haulage

Today we offer you the latest insight into the milk haulage industry and our predictions within as to where the market is going in 5+ years.

Evidently, the cow hasn’t changed in hundreds of years and she doesn’t plan on changing anytime soon. Milk haulage has come a long way from milk churns with a horse and cart and the past hundred years have made a massive difference to milk haulage. The key changes we have seen are Lighter, Larger and Faster haulage operations.

In this article what we have included for you is as follows;

• How to improve your milk tankers today
• Key features for the coming 5-10 years
• Key features we see happening in the next 10+ years
• What we offer our customers

Milk Tanker Improvements

Improving your milk tanker is an essential part of increasing your operational efficiency. The first major change that we have implemented is the move from 304L stainless steel (S/S) to duplex steel on certain components. Duplex steel is known for its excellent corrosion resistance properties and it is stronger than the normal 304L S/S. Thus, the material thickness for the required strength can be reduced. Typically, 5mm can be reduced to 4mm, therefore, a 20% saving where applicable.

Secondly, ground-level operation with single point sealing has its clear-cut health and safety benefits, operators’ feet are on the ground hence there is nowhere to fall, simple.

Easy weight-saving techniques we are all familiar with bring their own innovative improvements, this is achieved through the GRP cladding, alloy wheels and single day size fuel tanks to reduce weight.

Sometimes the simplest changes have the strongest effect.

Without wishing to scaremonger, Brexit comes with its own implications no one can fully predict just yet. However, one of the main questions is will ATP insulation be a “must-have”? Even if this is the case we are well equipped to deal with any industry changes and requirements that may come our way. To avoid fines, transferring a load and losing out on productivity we will ensure ATP insulation is adhered to if required.

At Crossland, our customers are at the forefront of what we do, and we want to ensure your business is well equipped to achieve the highest ease of transporting we can offer.

Finally, the offload speed that 4” outlets accommodate means an offload speed of 150,000L per hr.

This provides faster discharge and loading times meaning faster turnarounds and more utilisation of tankers, again increasing efficiency, labour and overall turnover for you and your business.

Future predictions for the coming 5-10 years

This is where we see the industry moving towards in the incoming years. At Crossland, we’re working diligently to ensure that these expectations are met and surpassed by being the solution leaders. Some of our predictions include:

1. 30,000L Payloads on Farm Collection in 2020. For you, the customer, more payload means more efficient operations and a cheaper price per litre.
2. Similarly, 31,000L Payload on Reload has the same efficiency benefits as point 1.
3. Digital electronic pumping systems are still in the infancy within the market place, we see that within the coming years more and more solutions will be created, bringing the pump and metering system into the modern technological era that depends on automation and control. Electric pumping offers more versatility as the truck doesn’t need to have hydraulics to drive the pumps. The battery can be recharged via mains and from the truck battery, and the tank can be pulled with any truck. All of which should lead to a more flexible fleet.
4. Moving the pump and meter to the farm seems like the way to go, why carry it around when we have the more effective resolution? This can provide our customers with unit cost reduction and increased ease of use. At Crossland we’re working to supply can supply these kits as well.

Our future predictions in the next 10+ years.

As businesses understand the impact they have on the environment they operate within we all can see a need to ensure that our operations, as well as our customers, are continually striving to be more environmentally friendly. Some of our more innovative ideas include:

1. One of the key ways we have identified is whether there is a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of CIP?
   • We believe it could be done by reduced water usage and energy to heat the water. CIP Cycle is pre-rinse (waste), Hot Caustic cycle (recycled) and Final rinse (recycled to pre-rinse for next time). If we optimise the washing heads by positioning them correctly the pre-rinse time can be reduced, and the total volume of water can be reduced saving on effluent and cost.
2. We would also see that by 2030 50T collection GVW should be possible. The Nordic regions already have 50T GVW & so, it is only a matter of time before we start to increase our GVW to maintain efficiency against ever stronger trucks within the global industry.
3. We also see the remaining 5% 40T Rigids on 5 Axles just as it is in the South of Ireland.
4. However, if we were to go to another extreme why have transport operations for dairies all together? Why wouldn’t the farmer deliver his own milk, he can have 2 reloads for the price of 1 farm collection and he needs a storage tank anyhow? This brings much greater efficiency for the farmer in terms of both cost and production.

For Our Customers

At Crossland, we don’t just say that we believe in reliability, innovation and quality. It is the cornerstone to everything that we do. We produce quality, reliable products for our customers today whilst continually challenging the status-quo to ensure our customers have the best equipment now and in the future. No wonder we are the go-to supplier for so many hauliers and dairies across the UK and Ireland.

If you wish to explore further, have a nosy of our Milk Tankers here, or additionally check out our Product Focus piece on Milk Reload Tankers.