Those of us who work in road transport, especially the transport of liquid foodstuffs, know that to arrive on time at our destination, it is not important to drive fast, but rather to plan the route well and avoid setbacks.

Although we usually associate road logistics with experienced drivers, the truth is that behind the collection or delivery of milk, wine, glucose, etc., there is not only a driver and a truck with an insulated tanker, but also a team of people providing technical and planning support.

Our traffic team is based at our offices in Oroso (A Coruña, Spain), and their duties range from optimising route planning to resolving incidents that occur on our vehicles' routes.

Route optimisation ensures that each truck makes the most of every journey. If we have to deliver olive oil to Antwerp, for example, our traffic team looks for a nearby location where they can load the same product or a washing facility to clean the tanker and load it again so that it can return with a new load or
even be taken to another destination, such as Munich in Germany.

The traffic team also plans the farms where our trucks collect fresh milk every day to take it to the factory, taking into account the litres loaded at each farm, the capacity of each insulated tanker and the distance to the factory.

This entire real-time puzzle of routes, driving times, vehicle and isothermal tank positions, service points, loading and unloading points is organised using management software that helps us quickly find the best option for each scenario.

This technology requires continuous training for the team assigned to traffic so that they can implement the improvements that technology offers us through new telemetry systems, artificial intelligence and vehicle parameter management.

So, it has long since ceased to be a matter of starting the truck and heading to the destination. We plan, optimise, anticipate and finally arrive on time. Every collection is made on time and every delivery is made at the right moment so as not to interrupt the logistics chain for liquid food products as delicate as
fresh milk, cream or olive oil.

In our last post, we talked about the safety measures we incorporate into our vehicles to minimise unforeseen events during loading and unloading in industrial areas and factories producing dairy products or food liquids in general. However, there are other additional measures that have a
greater impact on safety on the road, helping to minimise any incidents.

One of these measures that also contributes to driver comfort is the front radar or distance control. This is a device located at the front of the tractor unit that is capable of detecting obstacles and vehicles travelling in front of the truck in order to modulate its speed and automatically maintain a safe distance at all times. This device also emits an audible warning to the driver in the event of obstacles and, if necessary, can brake the truck if the driver does not respond to the alarm for any reason.

This measure is complemented by speed control, which is more widely implemented in all types of vehicles and keeps the truck at a constant speed without the driver having to keep their foot on the accelerator, greatly contributing to comfort on the road.

The importance of driver comfort translates into less fatigue and better responsiveness to unforeseen events.

Another fundamental part of the transit of our isothermal tanker trucks is the application of route control and monitoring. This helps us to optimise the route by planning stops from the outset. rest breaks, refuelling points, and departure and arrival times at each point.

This planning requires constant communication between our vehicles and the traffic team at our offices, who are on the lookout for any changes that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances such as traffic jams or the unavailability of a refuelling point, to give just two examples.

Nowadays, route optimisation is an essential tool in our work to reduce fuel consumption, cost per journey and delivery times. In the same way that we renew our trucks, we apply a continuous training system to our staff with the improvements that technology offers us.

Maintaining a fleet of vehicles in good condition is a significant undertaking for a business, and sometimes the question arises: is it worth it? Of course it is.

One of the key points to consider in new isothermal tanker trucks is safety. The first priority is the safety of our drivers in the event of an accident, but fortunately, such incidents are becoming less and less frequent.

However, minor collisions and accidents without personal injury are more common, but these can cause major inconveniences in terms of delays in the delivery or collection of the liquid food stuffs we transport. Damaged goods during loading or unloading, a minor collision while driving or an incident during a break may not pose a serious risk, but they can disrupt delivery schedules, causing delays and affecting the productivity of the destinationplant.

For this reason, the safety measures implemented in our trucks help to reduce the risk of minor incidents that in practice result in significant delays and financial losses.

In the latest MAN vehicles purchased in recent weeks, drivers have a 5-metre panoramic view of the cab's surroundings thanks to wide-angle cameras, which virtually eliminate blind spots around the truck.

They also incorporate proximity sensors that detect any object that comes into the vehicle's path when manoeuvring. In these cases, it is usually the people involved in loading and unloading who inadvertently place themselves in dangerous areas.

This makes loading and unloading food liquids much safer and ensures that everything goes according to plan, meeting delivery deadlines and respecting the controlled times and temperatures for the food liquids we transport.

In addition, there are other safety measures that have a greater impact on the reliability of goods transport, which we will explain in a future blog post.

Safety translates into reliability in transport and on-time deliveries.

We recently told you how the delivery of the ten new trucks we have added to our fleet had gone and that this would strengthen our quality of service and reliability in logistics deliveries.

Our fleet of isothermal tankers is on average about three years old and this, apart from reducing emissions and being more sustainable, helps us to raise our punctuality rates beyond 90%.

We can boast that our deliveries arrive on time more than 90% of the time and this means arriving when the delivery is due. Not before and not after and those of us in logistics know that this is important. It is important to note that the remaining cases include all the causes of delays due to unforeseen traffic
problems, delays in unloading slots or bay allocations, etc.

In any case, the modern systems with which our trucks are equipped allow us to recalculate deliveries and adjust schedules so that our customers always have up-to-date information and can better manage deliveries.

In ports such as Rotterdam, where thousands of trucks arrive and depart daily, it is essential to arrive at the time of unloading and leave as soon as possible. The logistics companies we work with there apply meticulous planning to their loading, unloading and storage times for huge quantities of goods.

Another case where punctuality of deliveries and collections is crucial is in the dairy sector, where we must collect the products when the factory completes its storage capacity or unload them before production is interrupted due to lack of stocks. All this, in the context of a liquid food product with an extremely high turnover due to the short times in which it has to be handled to keep its properties intact.

Thus, being on time does not mean arriving ahead of schedule, but arriving at the right time. And for this it is important to have a modern fleet of isothermal tankers that reduce unforeseen events to a minimum, offer full availability and help us to avoid unforeseen events through telemetry and active safety systems.

That's why we invest in innovation and that's why we deliver.

Last Thursday, June 5, a meeting took place at MAN Coruña, attended by the General Manager of the brand in Spain, the Marketing Manager, our CEO Brais Sangiao and more than 150 people representing companies linked to the world of logistics and road transport.

It was the presentation of two new engines. On the one hand, the new D30 engine, with a maximum efficiency of more than 50% and one of the best fuel consumptions in its category, saving 5% of fuel and emissions, and on the other hand, the electric propulsion of the eTGX model, which represents a new paradigm in the sustainability of road freight transport, with great challenges still pending at the level of recharging infrastructures.

In this event we also delivered the 10 new units recently acquired by Rios Sangiao that will replace vehicles of our fleet that were already around seven years of service. These new vehicles, equipped with the latest MAN D30 engine, reduce the average age of our fleet to 3 years and make our trucks a more efficient and sustainable fleet, reducing our carbon footprint.

The new tractor units that will be incorporated into the latest isothermal tanks acquired have a maximum efficiency of more than 50% and one of the best fuel consumptions in their category, among the most advanced commercial vehicle engines in the world, saving 5% in fuel and emissions
compared to previous generations.

In addition, these new cabins incorporate new safety measures that, although not yet mandatory, will be obligatory in the medium term and put us a step ahead in terms of innovation in our vehicles and in terms of safety regulations.

In this way, we achieve several of our policy objectives

• emission reduction in the transportation of liquid foodstuffs
• gaining efficiency in road transport
• to further increase the reliability of our equipment in order to continue
  to deliver on time
• make our drivers' jobs safer

The continuous improvement of our processes and, in short, of our service, entails this type of investment in order to have better working tools that result in efficient and reliable transportation.

Truck registrations fell by 12.8% in the first quarter of the year with March being particularly low with a 27.7% decline compared to the same month last year.

However, despite the context of the sector, at Rios Sangiao we have acquired 10 new MAN vehicles with new engines to replace units that are already around seven years old. Thus, we keep the average age of our tanker fleet at 3 years.

The new engines MAN D30 we will be introducing are manufactured at MAN's Nuremberg factories and incorporate the combined expertise of the TRATON Group brands. With a maximum efficiency of more than 50% and one of the best fuel consumptions in its class, it is among the most advanced commercial vehicle engines in the world, saving 5% in fuel and emissions compared to previous generations.

These new tractor units that will work with our isothermal tanks incorporate new safety measures that, although not yet mandatory, will be obligatory in the medium term. In this way, we are one step ahead in terms of innovation in our vehicles and in terms of safety regulations.

Some of the most outstanding measures are the front radar that adapts the speed of the truck based on the vehicle in front of it, braking in the event of a collision in the event of an emergency. In addition to this safety aspect, this improvement improves the comfort of our drivers when driving on highways
by supplementing the cruising speed.

Another improvement is the elimination of the dangerous blind spots generated by the rear-view mirrors, which have been replaced by perimeter vision cameras and in-cab monitors. In this way, the driver will be able to see the entire environment of the truck on these rectangular monitors located in the field of vision of the traditional rear-view mirrors. Although the manufacturers have managed to implement a system that is ergonomically similar to the traditional one, the change to this system requires a period of adaptation on the part of the driver, but in the long run it eliminates risks and increases safety.

With this renovation, Rios Sangiao continues with a determined investment in innovation, traceability and safety that always results in a more efficient, sustainable, competitive and reliable service for the customer.

Although the tools, vehicles and management models may change, our objective remains the same as it has been for more than 40 years: to efficiently meet each delivery in the transport of liquid foodstuffs.

There are our colleagues who do not pass through the same point for months at a time and who cross borders to the northernmost countries of Europe, but there are other colleagues who every two days or every day, repeat their route and their routine. They are the people in charge of the daily milk collection.

First thing in the morning, the milk tankers are started up to go to the farms assigned to them for the . The route can go through Carballo, Teixeiro, Arzúa, Chantada or any other point in Galicia, but our tanker drivers usually repeat the collection points.

Our tanker trucks wind their way along increasingly narrow roads to finally enter roads that are hard to believe that a trailer with the capacity to transport 30,000 liters of liquid foodstuffs can be driven on. The road to the farms is usually like this.

Once at the facility, the condition of the milk in the facility's tank is checked and the hoses are connected. From the first moment milk samples are taken and collected in a coded bottle with the collection data.

When the loading is finished, we store the milk sample at a controlled temperature in the truck's refrigerator. We collect the hoses, program the automatic washing of the tank at the farm and issue a delivery note to the farm with all the data of the collection.

The only thing left to do is to undo the narrow path back and start the journey to the dairy that will process the collected milk

In order to ensure the quality of the milk at origin, it is essential to adopt the maximum hygiene measures to avoid sources of contagion and this involves maintaining the health of the cattle, the cleanliness of the animals and of course the hygiene of the machinery and milking parlors as well as pitchers and utensils. The temperature of the milk in the farm will be lowered to 6º C in the two hours following milking, when the germicidal phase of the lactenins is still active.

The proliferation of germs is so great that at a temperature of 22°C the number of germs/ml increases from 6,500 to 25,000 in only 4 hours, reaching 11 million in 24 hours.

On the other hand, at a temperature of 6º C, in the first four hours the germs are reduced to 5,000 and in 8 hours they increase to 12,000.

When milk contamination is high, it is easy to detect it with pH indicator paper due to the acidification of milk during the transformation of lactose into lactic acid. This milk will not withstand boiling or pasteurization so there is no choice but to discard it.

It is common for farms to have cold storage rooms for the immediate preservation of milk, but in any case, the milk must be stored in a cooler for a longer period of time.

The temperature at which it is stored will determine the speed with which the milk must be collected for transport to the factory. In cases where it is stored at 8 to 6º C, we will collect the milk in a maximum of 12 hours, and if it drops to 2º or 4º C, the milk can be collected the day after milking.

For all these reasons, it is vital to control the temperature from the origin and to transport the milk as soon as without breaking the cold chain in order to apply treatments in the factory that will make it more stable and suitable for mass consumption.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food together with the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 have modified Royal Decree 1528/2012, which establishes the rules applicable to animal by-products and products not intended for human consumption.

This affects, among other aspects, the requirements for the transport of SANDACH and will establish a greater regulatory definition, greater control and a more effective supervision of processes and sanitary regulations by central government authorities.

First, the traceability of by-products not intended for human consumption will be ensured with the creation of a Registry of SANDACH Establishments and a National Registry of SANDACH Movements, where the data declared by operators involved in the movement of these materials will be verified.

Commercial documents must detail information on the origin, loading, transportation, and destination of by-products, and operators are held responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the data provided.

In addition, the possibility of electronic signatures on commercial documents will be introduced, and administrative management processes will be simplified to adapt to the foreseeable growth in movement documentation.

The incorporation of alternative official numbers assigned by EU regulations, such as the Register of Livestock Farms (REGA) and the Register of Establishments that Deliver Products for Animal Feed (SILUM), will also be permitted. These measures will ensure compliance with the regulations that establish the mandatory use of tankers, trailers, and containers exclusively for the transportation of food liquids for human consumption, separating those intended for the transportation of products and by products not intended for human consumption in order to avoid risks to public and animal health, as well as cross-contamination between different types of consumer materials.

This regulation strengthens our way of working and consolidates our commitment to a way of understanding quality based on traceability, computerized process management, and excellence in quality control.

This week is the end of the extension to upgrade to the second generation intelligent tachograph for all trucks engaged in international transport. Therefore, this is the end of analogue and digital tachographs for this routes.

This device is mandatory for all vehicles registered after August 2023 and all trucks in Rios Sangiao's food liquid transport fleet are already equipped with second generation smart tachographs.

What is new in second generation smart tachographs?

Positioning

The new smart tachographs are EGNOS compatible with the European global positioning network Galileo, in addition to any other systems that may be available, and autonomously record country changes and loading or unloading points. Previous tachographs only recorded the position at the beginning and end of the day and every 3 hours of driving.

Loading and unloading

The driver shall be able to confirm in real time information that the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded or that a simultaneous loading/unloading operation is taking place. This information shall be entered before the vehicle leaves the site.

New interface and symbology

Higher storage capacity of up to 56 days.

Increased security

The tachograph incorporates anti-tampering measures such as satellite signal authentication and internal sensors.

Versatility

New changes to the legislation will be implemented through software updates.

In short, the end of analogue and digital tachographs and the new second-generation intelligent tachographs will improve safety and competitiveness by ensuring responsible driving and compliance with legislation by all players in the sector. Aware of this improvement, we have already adopted this system in our fleet in which the optimisation of routes, breaks and traceability processes are essential aspects for our quality control and compliance with our objectives.