Does a milk run cut emissions compared with direct deliveries from each supplier?
Compare the fuel of one truck collecting from several suppliers on a loop against separate trucks from each supplier. Multiply litres by 2.68 kg CO2 per litre for each case. A milk run usually cuts distance and empty running, provided the truck is full enough.
What to compare
- Total distance for the loop against the sum of direct trips.
- Litres per km for each truck size, from fuel records.
- Load factor, since a half-empty loop truck saves less.
Where it is reported
Inbound freight you pay for is Scope 3, Category 4. Your own trucks running the loop are Scope 1.
Record it
Keep the planned and actual routes and fuel. A before and after figure from real fuel use is stronger than a modelled one.
Worked example: five suppliers (one trip, illustrative inputs)
- Direct: five suppliers, five trucks, 120 km each at an assumed 5 km per litre: 600 / 5 = 120 litres x 2.68 = 321.6 kg CO2
- Milk run: one truck, 140 km loop at an assumed 4.5 km per litre: 31.11 litres x 2.68 = 83.38 kg CO2
- Saving: 238.2 kg CO2 a trip
Distances and mileages are assumed inputs.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads fuel invoices and fuel card statements (diesel 2.68 and CNG 2.69 kg CO2, IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 record. Hired transport goes to the Scope 3 evidence trail, and distance or tonne-km estimates are labelled as estimates.
Sources: GLEC Framework for logistics emissions (Smart Freight Centre), GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy (fuel defaults)
Last reviewed 2026-10-21.