Milk tanker refurbishment program to support sustainable, cost-efficient milk collection
The dairy industry faces growing pressure: climate expectations, rising costs, and long delays for new vehicles. To help operators stay competitive and meet sustainability goals, TIP offers a refurbishment program for milk collection tankers – extending asset life while reducing emissions and total cost of ownership.
Why milk operators are turning to refurbishment
Milk collection is tough on equipment: long rural routes, narrow farm access, daily wash cycles, and strict hygiene rules. At the same time, new trailers have become more expensive with varying lead times, and dairies are adding stricter CSR criteria to tenders.
This combination has pushed many operators to ask a simple question: how do we keep service levels high without raising total cost of ownership?
Refurbishment is becoming the practical answer.
A refurbishment program designed for real milk collection conditions
TIP’s program is designed to extend tanker life without compromising reliability. Each unit goes through a four-month refurbishment and more than 100 technical checks, covering everything from structural integrity to hygiene-critical systems. Depending on the vehicle’s condition, work includes:
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Full cleaning, jacket replacement, and insulation refurbishment
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Chassis sandblasting, treatment, and repainting
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Replacement of axles, EBS, wheels, and lighting
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Complete overhaul of the pumping system
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Upgrades such as LED lighting, telematics, TPMS, and a 6 kWh battery
Every unit leaves the workshop fully documented and inspected by an independent certification body, so customers know exactly what was done and how it performs.
The program was built for the toughest parts of milk collection: rural roads, heavy wear, constant washing, and tight collection schedules. All critical systems are restored or replaced to ensure the vehicle can perform day after day.
Tangible benefits for operators
Refurbishment delivers measurable environmental and economic gains for operators:
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–35% CO₂ emissions vs. manufacturing a new trailer (Scope 3 impact)
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Lower costs with competitive rental rates and near-new performance
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Shorter lead times: 3-4 months depending on scope
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Stronger CSR positioning through reduced resource consumption
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Improved reliability thanks to modernized components and digital systems
Moving the dairy sector toward responsible, resilient transport
At TIP, we believe that sustainability and operational performance go hand in hand. This program supports operators facing rising costs and evolving ESG expectations, while keeping fleets efficient and road-ready.
TIP aims to refurbish around a dozen tankers per year for its own fleet and will soon open the program to customers who own their tankers. Expansion to other specialized trailers is also planned.
Interested in refurbishment? Our experts are here to support you! https://www.tip-group.com/en/refurbishment/get-in-touch
