Cement fleet optimization: fewer trucks, more deliveries

In the cement industry, fleet management is too often dictated by urgency. Without real-time visibility into the client silo level, logistics teams are left at the mercy of last-minute orders. 

The result? Oversized fleets are maintained solely to absorb morning demand peaks, with trucks idling in the afternoon. For a logistics director managing several sites, it means starting each day already behind, with his team chasing silo levels by phone and covering emergency runs.

It doesn't have to work this way. By shifting from a reactive model to a predictive one based on VMI, it is possible to reverse this dynamic. Here is how real-time data access lets you deliver smarter, using fewer trucks.

TL;DR

• Delivery is triggered automatically once a silo has room for a full truckload, no more manual level checks or phone calls.
• Holcim France cut its morning delivery peak by 6 points and shifted volume to the afternoon.
• Fewer emergency shipments and better use of owned and third-party trucks mean lower transport costs for the same delivery volume.

How VMI replaces manual silo checks with automated scheduling

Historically, delivery management has relied on time-consuming processes: routine calls to plant operators, manual inventory checks, and constant negotiations for delivery slots.

Deploying a VMI system on client silos fundamentally changes how teams operate. By relying on 24/7 fill-level data that is automatically collected and shared, logistics teams free themselves from routine calls. They shift from a reactive stance to proactive scheduling. 

Concretely, a delivery is triggered automatically as soon as a silo frees up enough space for a full truckload. The system sends an alert the moment that threshold is reached. No one has to call to check a level or confirm an order.

The daily challenge is no longer finding a truck for an emergency run, but rather optimizing dispatch schedules to deliver more tons with the same fleet.

How Holcim France cut its morning delivery peak by 6 points

Morning congestion is a major pain point in cement logistics. Before adopting SiloConnect to digitalize its silo monitoring, Holcim France’s logistics were heavily concentrated in the early hours of the day, severely limiting operational flexibility.

This concentration wasn't a choice. Without visibility into client silo levels, most orders had to be placed early in the morning, which created daily delivery peaks and made proactive planning almost impossible.

Through predictive scheduling and anticipating customer needs, the company successfully rebalanced its flows: 

• Morning peak reduction: deliveries made before 9:00 a.m. dropped by 6 points (from 34% to 28%).
• Afternoon surge: deliveries scheduled between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. more than doubled (from 9% to 21%).

This more even distribution drastically reduced congestion at peak hours and greatly improved overall operational flexibility.

→ See the full Holcim France results and how the numbers break down

How connected silos reduce cement transport costs

Balanced delivery schedules translate directly into lower transport spending. For the finance department, the benefits are concrete and measurable. By smoothing deliveries across the day and anticipating client orders, the company observes: 

• A significant reduction in emergency shipments, which are often the most expensive to execute
• Optimized use of both owned and third-party transport fleets
• The ability to reduce the total number of trucks required to handle the exact same delivery volume

The driver shortage and evolving demand patterns are structural, not temporary. With SiloConnect, the company gains the real-time visibility needed to anticipate customer needs, optimize its fleet and resources, and flatten demand peaks. The result is lower costs, stronger customer loyalty, and a more resilient supply chain.

Why smoother scheduling improves driver and customer satisfaction

Behind these productivity gains lies a major human advantage: stress reduction. Smoother schedules mean optimized driver shifts, less idle time waiting at the plant, and customers who never have to worry about running out of stock.

Nathalie Herrero, Logistics and Planning at Holcim France, sums it up:

“With SiloConnect, we managed to smooth out our deliveries throughout the day, reducing the morning rush and optimizing truck usage. It’s brought peace of mind to our teams and customers: fewer last-minute changes, less time on the phone, and greater flexibility in planning our routes.”

Conclusion

Optimizing your fleet doesn’t just mean making trucks drive faster; it means making them drive at the right time. Holcim France's numbers show what that looks like in practice: fewer morning peaks, better spread across the day, and the same volume delivered with less pressure on the fleet. When silo levels are visible 24/7, scheduling becomes a planning exercise instead of a daily emergency. By connecting silos and adopting a VMI approach, logistics stops being a reactive cost center and becomes a real driver of profitability and customer satisfaction.