increase font size
Three new milk trailer designs, next to the current model on the left, are being tested on New Zealand's roads this season.
A familiar sight on our roads, Fonterra's milk tankers provide the vital link in getting the "white gold" off dairy farms and into the nation's milk factories.
With a nationwide fleet of around 475 trucks and trailers combinations - each with a combined value of $700,000 - cumulatively covering 93 million kilometres annually, the logistics of operating such a large fleet is not taken lightly.
With a replacement policy that typically sees the truck chassis' moved out at seven years, with trailers good for about twenty years of so, the company is always looking to replace the current hardware with newer versions.
With an eye to efficiency, collection capacity, maneuvrability, fuel consumption and sustainability, a battle to be the next preferred trailer unit is currently underway. With a target to increase milk collection productivity by 8-10%, the result will be reduced kilometres, less fuel consumption, fewer tankers on the road and a reduction on the co-operative's impact on the environment.
Three designs are being tested on New Zealand's roads this season, collecting specific operational data and driver feedback to see which performs best.
The current, classic tanker offers a capacity of up to 15,000 litres, whereas the three new designs are two metres longer and can hold up to 21,000 litres.
One is the brainchild of one of the co-operative's own tanker drivers, while the others are designed and built by transport engineering companies, Domett and Longveld.
Reporoa-based Fonterra driver Bill Groves has been dreaming up his trailer for the past seven years and is proud to see it finally on the road, having been supported throughout the design and build phase by his employers.
Bill says it's been a "really cool journey to be a part of and just being able to be here right now is awesome".
"Fonterra has treated me like family, and I am so proud to be a part of this team."
The Groves trailer design is the first of its design, with a patent pending, and draws on Bill's experience in a previous life driving a logging truck. It features twin, double axle assemblied with an interconnecting pole coupling for good maneuvrability and safety when entering and exiting a corner. A more oval shape allows the tank to be mounted lower, thereby increasing stability.
Domett's Generation 4 Trailer also incorporates a more oval shaped tank, meaning it can be mounted lower in the chassis making it more stable, while incorporating three integral baffles to reduce surge when part loaded. A clever steering system sees the two rear wheels steer with the front of the vehicle, aiding maneuvrability.
The Longveld desing has a space-age look, with an elliptical tank that is said to be stronger, more stable, and therefore safer, with the added benefit of the shape making tanks easier to clean.
Fonterra's general manager transport logistics Barry McColl says the company wanted a trailer which could carry more milk but also incorporate improved maneuvrability on tighter tracks.
"We are currently trialling the trailers around the North Island because there are a lot of older farms with tanker tracks that were built for smaller trucks.
"This isn't so much of an issue in the South Island, as a lot of the dairy farms are relatively new and have good access for our vehicles."
McColl's first impressions of the three designs is positive.
"Bill's is quite radical and different from the other two, which are really variants of what we currently have. It's certainly given us something to compare over the next year, with driver feedback being a key indicator of how well the trailers performed."
"Over the next 12 months these three trailers will undergo testing, collecting data to make an informed decision on which of the trailers has performed the best and will be safest for our operators and communities."
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
OPINION: Farmer shareholders of two of New Zealand's largest co-operatives have an important decision to make this month and what they decide could change the landscape of the dairy and meat sectors in New Zealand.
OPINION: As CEO of the Dairy Board in the 1980s I was fortunate to work with a team of experienced and capable executives who made most of the brand investments that created the international consumer business Fonterra inherited. Soprole in Chile was the largest, but there were more than 20 countries where consumer marketing companies were established and Anchor and other brands were successfully launched.
Fonterra has delivered a fifth straight year of record organic milk price for farmer suppliers.
Fonterra says favourable weather conditions supporting pasture growth is boosting milk production.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
