They transport different products - fruit and vegetables, raw materials for the food industry, hazardous materials, and spare parts. Some of them are small owners, while others have large fleets with 45 vehicles, travelling different routes around Italy or Europe, but all sharing a unique spirit, which combines passion, dedication to work and customer care.

We interviewed five transporters, all united by their passion for truck personalization and “friends” of International Truck Look, the meeting that for many years has also been hosted at Transpotec Logitec, to understand how they make their choices when buying a new vehicle.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A NEW TRUCK? COMFORT AND RELIABILITY.
BUT THE CHOICE IS ALSO GUIDED BY PASSION

These are difficult months for transport companies too, but if they want to remain competitive, they have to continue their investment in new vehicles. They are all in agreement over one thing: it is not pricing, in their experience, that is the determining factor in a purchase.

Mirko, owner of a company with 14 vehicles and which deals with ADR transport and the transport of spare parts, is waiting to register the new “jewel” about to enter his fleet in 2021. He told us, “Before buying a new vehicle, I need to understand the performance of the previous one, so, weigh up how much it gave me, in terms of distance travelled, any problems it had and how much maintenance costs were. The one I’m changing now is 10 years old and has done 1,000,012 kilometres up to now. It has had a few problems, a particularly serious one only 4 years after I’d bought it, but in that case the dealership was a determining factor in the way they looked after me and suited my needs. Knowing that they’re there is important. That’s why I’ll buy a vehicle from the same place. Maybe it will cost me 20% more when compared to other options, but if I weigh up the costs / benefits and the after sales service, I’ll stay with them”.

According to Paolo, owner of a company with 45 vehicles, “the choice is also directed towards faith in the manufacturer. I registered the latest vehicle last week and the one before in 2019. I can say that on average, we look to replace our trucks after 5 years, even if we have a few vehicles that are 7/8 years old because they are still performing well. We trust three brands and our choice is always between these three. For the rest, as an enthusiast, I can only buy full optional vehicles, which means maximum comfort, but also a lot of technology on board, which supports us in our work”.

Graziano, owner of a fleet of 19 vehicles, has bought three cabs and four semi-trailers in the last six months. He changes his trucks, on average, every seven years. “How do I choose? I’m faithful to the make I’ve always bought. It’s not a question of price, if I had to base it on price, I’d change manufacturer. The main criterion for me is reliability. If a truck is good and doesn’t cause me any problems, then I’ll always buy the same brand”.

It is also important for Lorenzo, the owner of a small company, to have new vehicles, “I have a fleet of 4 vehicles, plus a fifth that we keep as a spare, and you could say that they’re all new, the oldest being 5 years old. A week ago I ordered a new trailer which will arrive in January, while in February I changed the last refrigerated truck. It’s passion that guides me in my choice of what to buy. I’m a small independent trucker and I only entrust my trucks to reliable drivers who work well. So for me, the vehicle needs to be full optional. It’s important for me to have a fridge in the cab and air conditioning that works even when stationary, because the truck must make the driver feel good. Let’s say that no expense is spared to have the best”.

Jonny, an employee of a company that deals with transport for the food and thermoplastics sectors, states, “Even if it isn’t me who makes the final decision directly, we discuss the performance of the vehicles with the company. I can say that for anyone, like me, who transports light loads, the element that determines the choice is consumption; for transporting heavier loads though, engine capacity and horsepower are taken into consideration when choosing a model. On average, my company buys one truck a year. The last one was bought last February, but Covid19 has slowed down the set-up times, so they’ll deliver it this week, after 9 months”.