Technology helps tankers slash travel times

Open Country Dairy says it's now moving more milk from farm to factory, while cutting tanker travel - saving fuel, time, and emissions.

M2X is a digital real-time transport management platform connecting data across Open Country's transport planning, dispatch and drivers, optimising tanker routes at the click of a button.

It's now being used by over 250 Open Country drivers based at three sites - Southland, Wanganui and Waharoa in Waikato.

Open Country national transport manager Ginny Christians told Dairy News that drivers were excited to use the new technology.

She says the technology ensures milk from suppliers' farm travels the shortest distance possible to Open Country's processing sites.

"It has already slashed tanker travelling distances by thousands of kilometres," she says.

Christians says M2X is also helping the dairy company meet its carbon emission reduction targets by making sure trucks are travelling the shortest routes from farm milk collection to processing.

"The system has cut our transport planning time in half. It can automatically redirect trucks where they're needed to collect excess milk, recognise the High Productivity Motor Vehicle Routes (HPMV) and ensure the right trucks are on the right roads.

"It even provides tanker drivers with useful details on farm tanker tracks."

She says, from a transport point of view, optimising routes and using the latest emission technologies are important steps Open Country is embracing to make sure it meets climate change obligations.

"Our dairy industry is recognised as one of the most efficient milk producers in the world in terms of emissions, so we need to make sure we all play our part in protecting our reputation on the world stage."

M2X was launched at Open Country's Awarua and Wanganui sites last year and was implemented last month at its Waharoa site.

The new platform has seen Open Country move from a more labour-intesnive, manual system to a digital platform that centralises all Open Country's milk collection and transport data.

Christians says everything is now digitally communicated.

"Drivers load any excess milk volumes into the sysem and the dispatchers back at the processing site can see which trucks in the area have capacity to pick it up," she says.

"The system even gives drivers specific information about farm tanker tracks and the best and safest way to navigate them."

M2X keeps drivers informed. For example, they might have to turn left because it's too dangerous to turn it right.

"Or, there is a bridge ahead and if you turn right onto it, you'll get stuck because there's not a wide enough turning circle. Issues are avoided because all that information is digitally available and it doesn't rely on institutional knowledge," says Christians.

The cloud-based system is operated from computers at Open Country's head office that feature a map view of the region's tanker routes and farms. Open Country's tanker drivers use either an iPad or download the app on their phone, which they refer to before getting on the road.

The system also recognises HPMV routes which allow trucks weighing more than 45 tonnes to travel on them. This allows Open Country dispatchers to assess if an HPMV truck has capacity to pick up milk and if the farm's pick-up location is on one of the specially designated HPMV routes.

"Because dispatchers have a map view, they can see where the trucks are and if there's a truck passing a farm that has capacity to take additional load," she says.

"It allows them to make quick decisions based on real time milk volumes and events. Alongside creating greater transparency and efficiency across Open Country's transport operations, the technology has also halved the time spent forecasting and planning and boosted the volume of milk moved,"

Making Waves On The Road

The M2X Transport Management system offers solutions for carriers and enterprise customers across industries such as livestock, milk, forestry, bulk, dairy and general freight. Its software uses advanced optimisation to improve the efficiency of transprt across the supply chain.

The innovative technology won the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution at the New Zealand High Tech Awards last month.

M2X director Krista McKay says as consumer demand grows for sustainably produced food and fibre, the spotlight is not only on farmers, but on the entire primary industry to produce more from less.

"M2X is a single platform that helps companies optimise transport, increase efficiency and reduce both costs and carbon emissions.

"We believe it is a truly sustainable industry solution - a platform where carriers and enterprise customers can work together to achieve and share the benefits of digital efficiencies and optimisation.

"M2X is helping companies reduce their kilometres travelled and ease the impact of labour shortages, while reducing the time animals spend on trucks, which has welfare benefits and reduces overall carbon emissions too. It's a win-win across the board.