Zaninelli Trasporti relies on 17 Actros. The boss drives one of them himself

There are companies that develop along a straight line. For others the path to success takes abrupt twists and turns: because, for example, there is a fundamental change to external conditions. Or because new trends appear on the horizon and someone has the right idea and decides to use them. The latter applies to the Zaninelli family who run a haulage company and who, over two generations, have changed direction at least twice. Each switch has resulted in growth. Currently Zaninelli specialises in temperature-controlled food transportation and owns a fleet of 19 trucks.

– Nicola Zaninelli

Transition to scheduled haulage.

The transition from delivering to big-box retailers to scheduled haulage was the second great change in direction for the company and took place at the same time as another important event; entry into Consorzio Autotrasportatori Translusia which is based in Lusia (Rovigo province) and specialises in the transportation of fresh fruit and vegetables. “In addition to absolute punctuality, our customers also request transportation services in the short-term, and the structure of the consortium makes it possible to satisfy these requests thanks to a widespread distribution of the vehicles,” Simone explains.

Zaninelli Trasporti operates in an area north of the Rome-Pescara line, including Sardinia. It has daily scheduled routes which involve loading pallets with fruit and vegetable products at agricultural firms and taking them to wholesale markets or logistic facilities belonging to big-box retailers: “Most tours are at night when traffic is scarce. This helps us to arrive punctually at destinations and to adhere to the driving and break times. The most demanding route is the one to Sardinia because it includes a ferry crossing and the vehicle is unavailable for several days. We take various loads to the island and return with Sardinian foods.”

17 of the 19 semitrailer trucks in the fleet at Zaninelli Trasporti are Actros. Simone drives one of them himself and directs the other vehicles and drivers via the Internet. His sister Beatrice and his wife Giovanna are in charge of administration while his brother Nicola manages the company’s own workshop which takes care of the towing vehicles and the semitrailers: “One of the most important factors when you choose a truck is managing maintenance and reducing the associated costs,” Nicola says. “Some of the work is done in our workshop, but we need a brand that offers an efficient and close-knit network throughout the region in which we operate. That's one of the reasons why we've always chosen vehicles from Mercedes‑Benz. And because we know them so well, preventive maintenance and the repairs we do ourselves are so much easier for us.”

Simone adds: “The Actros is comfortable and reliable. Its magnificent performance has been further improved in the current generation. We choose an output range of between 330 kW and 375 kW and equipment with a retarder because we have to cross the Apennines daily. With regard to driver comfort, we always invest in the most spacious cab with an air-conditioning system which also works when the engine is switched off.” The Zaninelli trucks also boast another feature which makes them very conspicuous; the particularly striking, individual design of the towing vehicles and semitrailers: “We really love to design the vehicles. Each towing vehicle has its own individual design while the semitrailers are decorated along the theme of Formul 1 racing – always with the star in the centre, of course,” says Simone.

Photos: Michele Latorre