Tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions from tank trucks transporting raw milk from farms to processing plants

An analysis of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide equivalents, CO2e) was conducted from 2007 databases for 211,216 round trips of tank trucks that delivered raw milk from farms to processing plants in the United States of America. The total amount of milk was 4.81 × 109 kg, or about 17.4% of the 2007 total USA production for use as fluid milk products. Average round trip distance was 850 km resulting in tailpipe emissions of 0.050 kg CO2e kg−1 milk delivered or 0.071 kg CO2e kg−1 milk consumed representing 3.5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions for fluid milk consumed. Based on this we estimate the total emissions for fluid milk delivery from farm to processor in the US at 1.3 × 109 kg CO2e y−1. Some overall reduction in total delivery distance could be realized by realigning farm-to-processor relationships, especially in regions where farms are equally distant from multiple processors.