Spain: Francisco Simón transports spare parts for vehicles
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Francisco Simón brings Daimler spare parts from Germany to the Iberian peninsula in his Actros 1846.
Francisco Simón greets the gatekeeper in his guardhouse and waits for the safety barrier to be raised. Then, he puts his truck into first gear and drives on to the grounds of the Miralcampo logistics centre in Azuqueca de Henares, Spain. Francisco has reached his destination, some 1.800 kilometres away from where he began in Germersheim on the Rhine.
On board: screws, windows, engines and much more.
Francisco has been driving this route for more than a decade now. The cargo consists of spare parts from Daimler AG’s Global Logistics Center in Germersheim for the Miralcampo logistics centre, the heart of Daimler’s spare parts logistics on the Iberian peninsula.
Merchants in Spain, Portugal and Morocco get spare parts for all brands from here: “Screws, windows, doors, frames and even engines,” explains Francisco. “I have the honour of transporting every conceivable part.” When the Andalusian drives past another Mercedes-Benz truck, van or car on the road, he often imagines that the vehicle has a part that he himself has transported.
Family tradition.
Both his father and grandfather drove trucks – Francisco got his passion for driving from them. The trucker is involved in an entrepreneurial group: Transbidasoa, which comprises more than 140 partners. He drives his own truck: an Actros 1846. Francisco gets his truck ready for unloading. It is not his first Mercedes-Benz truck. His previous truck was an Actros 1848, with which he did more than 900.000 kilometres. “There were never any problems,” he says.
“I really feel like I am part of a big family called Mercedes‑Benz.”
– Francisco Simón
An impressive complex.
“When I was in Miralcampo for the first time, I could not believe my eyes,” says Francisco. The grounds have an area of 212.000 square metres – 48.000 square metres of which are storage areas. In these warehouses, there are two kilometres of conveyor belts and 85 different machines. Here, 145.000 different parts and 90.000 products are kept in stock.
While the Miralcampo employees unload the goods, Francisco has a chat with a colleague. Then it is off to the next platform to pick up the next load. On his way from Spain to Germany, he frequently loads parts that are to be brought to Germany for repair. He looks satisfied as he watches his truck being loaded. “I cannot imagine transporting anything better. I really feel like I am part of a big family called Mercedes-Benz,” says Francisco, before setting off for Germany again.
Photos: Begoña Tremps
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