In times of hardship humans often innovate, reaching for new efficiencies and cost savings. The dairy and retail industries are no different, and a new stackable milk jug promises to cut transportation costs by maximizing the available space in each delivery truck. But, some grocery shoppers think the new design stinks.

The new jug sheds traditional rounded corners reaching up toward a conical top and instead favors a square. Why you ask? Because that makes it stackable.

Stackable jugs means trucks are able to transport 50% more milk on each trip which results in some significant savings in fuel costs.

Because of the shape, traditional milk jugs can’t be stacked, so they’re shipped in milk crates. But they waste space on delivery trucks and millions of gallons of water are used to keep them clean, according to CBS.

Some grocery shoppers aren’t happy though, noting that the new jug is harder to pour and they spill more. Of course, some of that could be caused by inexperience with the new container.

Daniel Book, marketing manager at Sam’s Club says that using the new jugs could result in a reduction of 11,000 trucks out on the road. That’s good for other drivers too as the amount of traffic on the road is reduced, though the amount of concentrated weight in each truck is increased which could result in more wear on the pavement.

With the price for a barrel of oil continuing to increase this sounds like a smart way to protect profit margins while preserving existing business models.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 7:54 pm under Retail, Technology.

Read more entries by Matt Jansen.
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