Transportation of Raw Milk

The dairy plants organize the collection and transportation of milk in its collection area. Route plans need to be established and continuously optimized for an optimal utilization of the transport facilities and keeping transport cost low. Some sorts of transportation are also required to carry the milk from points of production to the points of collection, pick up, chilling or processing.

 

i. Purpose

Milk being perishable commodity, it becomes necessary to transport the fresh raw milk to the consumer or the chilling/processing plant within 4 hours of its production.Thus, transportation becomes an integral part of milk collection system. An efficient and suitable facility is selected on the basis of the raw milk collection as well as regional requirements.

 

ii. Factors determining selection

The following factors may be considered in selection of a suitable, efficient and economic transportation system and transport:

Geographical location: In hilly areas where roads are not developed, small quantity of milk can be carried out on head for short distance and on shoulder sling for comparatively longer distance and larger quantity. In places where river is to becrossed, a boat and road in combination may be used.

Volume of milk: For small quantity and short distance head load, shoulder sling,cycle, etc; for moderate quantities and longer distance motor cycle, cart, tri-wheeler,etc. by road can be transported. If quantity of milk is large, milk in cans on truck & lorries or in road/rail tankers for long distances can be carried.

Variable resources: If the organization is having road/rail tankers and facilities exist for bulking, chilling, loading and unloading, road/rail tankers may be used. In absence of such facilities, only milk in cans or tanks on truck or lorries is transported.Cost of transportation: Cost of transportation should be kept at minimum level by selecting a suitable transport of optimum size and capacity taking into consideration the quantity of milk to be transported, type of vehicles available, road condition and time involved.

Distance of transport: Depending upon the distance of transport and quantity of milk, a most economic type of transport system is selected.Condition of road: Condition of road such as dusty, narrow, broken, having sharp turnings, congestion, business, obstacles like railway crossing, etc. are also taken into account in selecting a suitable vehicle for milk transportation.

Own vs. hired: Having own transportation system is too expensive and highly cumbersome. Apart from the initial investment on vehicles, it involves a complete section of maintenance and operational personnel. Even after involving a considerable time, energy and money, the system is neither cost effective nor working satisfactory.On the other hand, hired transport facilities are very effective and relieve the management from several problems and evils. It is economical because of no or low investment and maintenance expenses. The dairy has an agreement with the owner of the vehicle regarding rate, mode and interval of payment, liabilities on account of delays, spoilage of milk, accidents, pilferage during transit, change in the quality due to any fault on his part, etc. Heavy penalties and recoveries are imposed for any lapse on the part of the transporter.

 

iii. Methods

Generally following methods are being used in dairy industry:

Head load: Generally, producers carry milk on their head to nearby collection/chilling/processing point. This is being practiced in villages to carry small quantity(3 to 25 litres) of milk for short distances (3-8 km) to the collection point, specially in hilly areas where there is no development of road.

Shoulder sling:Use is restricted to hilly areas or other areas where no other means of transport is easily available. When the milk is slightly more (20 to 40 liters) and conveniently can not be carried on head, for little more distance (5 to 10 Km), this method is practiced.

Bullock cart: In villages where no road exists in real sense, bullock cart is used to carry milk, if quantity is more (300–400 Kgs) and distance is to be covered within 1 to 2 hours. It is very slow moving vehicle.

Tonga (Horse cart) : It is faster than bullock cart but it needs road to ply on and carries comparatively less load (200-250 Kgs) for more distances (10-15 Kms).Pack animal: Ponies, horses, donkeys and bullocks are usually employed to carry 40 to 80 Kgs to a distance of 5 to 10 Km. This method of transport is faster than bullock cart but slower than tonga.

Bicycles: Bicycles are commonly and conveniently used to carry milk to the collection centres, pick-up points and chilling/processing points. It is also used to carry milk in unorganized sector by middlemen/agents/vendors to sell milk in the accessible urban area. It is faster, more convenient and easily accessible to milk producers/consumers home. About 40 litres (l) of milk for a distance of about 10-
15 Km can easily be transported.

Motor Cycle: Still heavier duty then bicycle can be taken to cover more than 15 Km and carry more than 100Kg of milk in very short time.
Tricycle or cycle rickshaw: It can carry more load than cycle.

Auto rickshaw: It can carry more load than cycle, rickshaw/motor cycle.

Boat: Boat is used to cross-river. Normally, small boats carry about 200 l of milk for short distances.

Motor trucks: Motor trucks carry milk in cans and bulk tanks to a load of 0.5 to 3.5 tons for more than 100 Km. With the improvement in road facilities and construction of all season roads, motor trucks have been found most effective
means of transportation.

Railway wagon: Railway wagons are most dependable and economical for long distance but less popular means of milk transportation. Railway wagon can carry 10 to 12 tons of load for more than 100 Km.

Road tanker: Insulated stainless steel tanks are mounted on road truck chesis for bulk handling (3000 – 12000 l) and for long distance (100 to 1000 Km.) transportation.The tanker may be divided into 2 to 3 equal capacity compartments with separate outlets.

Rail tanker: Insulated and/or refrigerated stainless steel tanks are mounted on rail truck/chesis of the capacity in the range of 10,000 to 50,000 l to transport milk for a long distance 500 to 3000 Km or more.

The extent, structure, distance of the collection area and form of collection, determine the selection of mode of transportation.

 

iv. Transport vessels

•  Milk cans: 40-50 litre milk cans up to 3000 litres per truck.
•  Farm containers: Made of stainless steel, mobile and insulated (partially with chilling) of 200 to 500 litre capacity.Tanks installed on trucks: Insulated and/or refrigerated of capacity 600 to 3000 litre tanks mounted on truck to receive milk on the route.
•  Milk tankers: Separated into several chambers with or without an integrated reception device and data recording of capacity 3,000 to 50,000 litres milk.
•  Transport pipes: Subterranean pipelines made of stainless steel in developed countries for transporting milk between the dairy and collecting point. Milk is pushed or flowing by gravity at suitable location.

Type of Transport:

Roadways, railways, waterways and air ways are the possible types of transport. Sometimes combination of two or more can also be used for transporting milk. In selecting suitability of a type of transport, volume of milk,geographical location of the area, availability of facilities and ultimately the cost of transportation are taken into account. A comparative advantages of can vs. tankers and road vs. rail transport have been given in below Tables respectively.
      

Comparative advantages of can and tanker transport

Advantages of road and rail transport