Angelo Marzano's Actros Brutale is a very special model

Night after night, thousands of pallets of agricultural produce travel in refrigerated trailers along the Autostrada del Sole and the Adriatic motorway from south to north to supply the wholesale markets of the big cities. They have to arrive punctually at the ramp of their destination, as the retailers and traders want to buy the fruit and vegetables at the wholesalers' stalls in the small hours of the morning. These shipments have always been one of the greatest challenges for drivers and their trucks.

The work is mainly done by haulage contractors from the south, and the business is often passed on from father to son. Angelo Marzano, known only as Tonino to his friends, like many truck drivers from Campania, is firmly rooted in this tradition. For forty years, his father drove a truck and served the markets along the peninsula; Angelo began his career as a driver in 1993. "I always loved trucks, and you have to love them to do this job, otherwise you fail," he says.

About ten years later, Marzano decided to use all the experience he had gathered to set up his own business. In 2003 he bought his first semitrailer. Later he increased his fleet to the three vehicles he has today. For an independent haulage contractor in this business, that is a typical constellation, even though Marzano has stopped sitting behind the wheel in order to manage the business himself. "The vehicles need to be used in the best possible way, and that is why admin work at a fixed location is essential," he explains.

The working week begins on a Sunday when Marzano's three trucks set off on the motorway heading north. They travel through the night so they can be at their destinations in Florence, Bologna, Verona, Milan or Turin in the early morning. After the last pallet has been unloaded, the trucks set off again straight away. They need to be back in Campania by Tuesday afternoon and standing at the ramp again ready to take on another load of fruit and vegetables. At about 6.30 pm they are at the tollgate again where their journey north begins.

The trucks do at least two round trips per week, covering about 1,600 to 2,000 kilometres. If possible, they take on a third trip. In order to do this work punctually and observe the statutory driving and break times, Marzano allots two drivers to each truck.

Working in the office has not detracted from Marzano's passion for trucks at all. He now invests this love in the form of brilliant, individual designs for his trucks. The tour de force is his newest acquisition, an Actros 1863 Brutale semitrailer. This is a special version created by Mercedes-Benz Italia in collaboration with Acitoinox, with many stainless steel adornments to the bodywork.

But that alone is not enough for Marzano. He thought up an even more distinctive design, decorating the cab generously with leather and a large star on the floor that lights up in different colours. This creation was rounded off with powerful audio equipment with three large speakers in each door. "I love well-thought-out trucks that catch the eye, and for this Actros I really let my imagination run wild," he says.

The choice of model, however, was a very rational one: "The Actros is not only good to look at; it's comfortable and safe to drive too, and its fuel consumption is very economical."

Photography: Michele Latorre