Article: Transportation planning of milk <i>in natura</i> to supply the dairy industry in developing countries Journal: International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management (IJLSM) 2026 Vol.54 No.1 pp.109 - 134 Abstract: In developing countries, dairy farms are scattered over extensive rural areas, with roads in precarious conditions, which impacts the product's final cost. The truck routes are currently planned by dividing the collecting area into smaller areas, without software's aid. This research proposes a strategy to plan the routes globally, considering the complete area to reduce the total transportation cost. A new metaheuristic algorithm and a mathematical model are proposed, based in the periodic vehicle routing problem with multi-trips, to plan the truck routes. Data from a Brazilian dairy farm were used to assess the strategy and apply the metaheuristic algorithm. Results showed that the routes planned by the proposed metaheuristic are shorter in distance than the routes done currently by the industry and that globally planning the routes may bring financial gains and improve the milk's quality by the reduction of travel time. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Transportation planning of milk in natura to supply the dairy industry in developing countries

Authors: Alana Alves Nunes; Bruna Martins de Freitas; Rodrigo de Alvarenga Rosa; Hendrigo Venes; Bianca de Souza Hoffmann

Addresses: Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil ' Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil ' Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil ' Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil ' Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil

Abstract: In developing countries, dairy farms are scattered over extensive rural areas, with roads in precarious conditions, which impacts the product's final cost. The truck routes are currently planned by dividing the collecting area into smaller areas, without software's aid. This research proposes a strategy to plan the routes globally, considering the complete area to reduce the total transportation cost. A new metaheuristic algorithm and a mathematical model are proposed, based in the periodic vehicle routing problem with multi-trips, to plan the truck routes. Data from a Brazilian dairy farm were used to assess the strategy and apply the metaheuristic algorithm. Results showed that the routes planned by the proposed metaheuristic are shorter in distance than the routes done currently by the industry and that globally planning the routes may bring financial gains and improve the milk's quality by the reduction of travel time.

Keywords: dairy industry; milk-run; milk supply; periodic vehicle routing problem.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2026.153539

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2026 Vol.54 No.1, pp.109 - 134

Received: 19 Jan 2023
Accepted: 03 Aug 2023
Published online: 13 May 2026 *

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Title: Transportation planning of milk in natura to supply the dairy industry in developing countries

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