The Big Orange Truck, a partnership between the West Texas Food Bank and BHP Billiton, has been wheeling its way across Texas delivering fresh produce to food banks in the Permian Basin.

Since January, the refrigerated 18-wheeler has distributed over 318,624 pounds (144,525 kilograms) of state-grown fruits and vegetables, including oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, squash and broccoli, from the abundant agricultural zone of South Texas to the more arid West Texas region.

This month marks a milestone in the Big Orange Truck’s journey as it will pick up its first assorted load from a newly developed produce mixing center, which demonstrates how the various growers and food bank have come together to leverage the truck’s availability. The road doesn’t stop there, though – the success of the distribution model pioneered by this partnership and the creation of the mixing center has other Texas food banks expressing an interest in growing the program further, creating a co-op that addresses lack of access to fresh produce and food waste in a collaborative and sustainable way.