Dairy farmers can have complete confidence in Bibby Distribution’s milk collection fleet this winter after the 3PL introduced a host of new safety measures to ensure its team can collect and deliver – whatever the weather.
The 50-strong milk fleet has benefited from the introduction of all-weather tyres and an increased vehicle inspection schedule which means potential problems are spotted in the workshop and not on the road.
In addition, all tractor units have been fitted with a manual transmission after drivers said they preferred using a gearstick when driving down rural lanes to remote dairy farms, as they felt more in control and could easily switch between gears.
A weekly online bulletin is also being sent to Bibby Distribution drivers sharing tips on winter driving, and the 3PL’s year-round use of full fleet telematics continues to increase road safety and fuel efficiency.
The team at Bibby Distribution hopes to repeat its success of December 2016, where 100 per cent of all scheduled milk collections were made on time.
Vaughan Pendergest, Business Unit Director, Foods & Ingredients, says: “Milk has a short shelf life so collections need to always be on time, and always be safe. The work we have carried out this year means we can continue working in sometimes difficult conditions and still provide the same high-quality service in winter as we do throughout the rest of the year.”
Bibby Distribution collects milk from farms in Wales and northern Britain, equating to one in every 12 pints transported in the UK. The company has made 157,084 farm collections this year, collecting more than 500 million litres of milk.
