Have you ever wondered how, from the farm to the kitchen table, milk transportation is executed? Well, to begin with, in between the farm and the store, there are processing plants.
To start things off, directly from the dairy cows, milk is pumped by equipment on a dairy farm. It is quickly cooled in a refrigerated storage tank to preserve safety and freshness. Human hands should never touch the milk by today’s standards. In fact, to protect your milk, numerous safety measures are in place from farm to fridge.
Transporting From Farm to Plant
From the dairy farm, fresh milk is driven to a local dairy processing plant. A sealed, insulated tanker truck is used. They basically look like a giant thermos on wheels, and you probably remember seeing a number of them in your lifetime. To fill an entire tanker truck, some farmers actually do produce enough milk on their farm. In fact, some farms can fill more than a tanker. Otherwise, to fill up an entire tank, some trucks will stop at multiple locations before heading off to the processing plant.
Computers
Today, it’s hard to find anything that doesn’t have a computer involved somewhere. Milk transportation is no exception. So that between dairy farms the most efficient routes are taken, computer programs set up routes for the trucks. With dairy farmers, they also are in direct communication to determine when milk needs to be emptied from a tank that has reached its capacity. This contributes to lower carbon emissions because it minimizes trips to the dairy.
Testing
Both at the processing plant and on the farm, before it leaves, milk is tested for antibiotics. If a positive test occurs – which is rare – that milk never goes to the public and is immediately disposed of. Additionally, if milk contains antibiotics, a financial liability may exist for the farmer.
There is a mantra in the dairy supply industry – “Keep It Clean, Keep It Cold, Keep It Moving!” Indeed, along milk’s journey, every person involved values its safety. From farm to table, milk moves quickly, because of its perishability. The shorter the distance milk has to travel, the better. Chances are, less than two days prior, the milk you buy at the store was farm harvested!
Contact Mickey Genuine Parts Today For Fleet Servicing
We sell refrigerated truck bodies for the transportation of dairy products and other perishables. Check out our inventory of reefer trailers and trucks. Be advised, as well, that we sometimes have used reefers for sale. The inventory changes frequently, so check back often.
At Mickey Genuine Parts, we not only sell parts and accessories to those who do their own vehicle maintenance, but we have – scattered throughout the United States – conveniently located full-service centers. Click here for a directory of both Mickey authorized centers and Mickey owned centers.
We will be happy to help you put together a routine, preventative maintenance program, carry that program out, and also take care of those sometimes-unavoidable emergency repairs and replacements.
Contact us today if you have any questions or to schedule service.