Observe the trend – then act
In conversation with Manuel Scortegagna of Scortrans. People are at the heart of the logistics provider Scortrans, established in Vicenza in 1989, as its managing director made clear in a conversation with ITJ editor Andreas Haug.
How did the year now coming to an end go for your company, Mr Scortegagna? Did you attain your goals?
In 2022 we’ve managed to repeat and improve on our figures from 2021. At Scortrans we’re currently performing at our best to achieve the goals we set ourselves. Please note, however, that the continuous increase in direct and general costs seems to be slowing some of our customers in their production and order fulfilment, particularly in this latest period. Our customers decreased production flows naturally create a fall in the quantities of goods that we transport. This is the main alert for the next months.
A year ago (see page 26 of ITJ 49-52 / 2021) you told us about planned investments in the customs and logistics sectors. To what extent have you realised these?
As planned in our development projects, we’ve further structured our custom department in this last year by additionally expanding our overall warehousing space available. This will enable us to meet growing demand for import and storage services from non-EEC countries for the procurement of goods.
So much for the goods – what about your people?
Another goal we set ourselves for 2022 was to expand our offices and create a new and more structured area for drivers to use during their loading stops, with services and greater comfort. We believe that finding a comfortable area to relax in and clean showers and a well-stocked snack bar is a great support to them in their hard work.
How has Scortrans dealt with the current crises?
The post-pandemic period has considerably increased the quantities of goods that have to be transported. The war between Russia and Ukraine, however, has inconvenienced our sector in Europe from the start, due amongst other things to the lack of Ukrainian drivers. Furthermore, the flows of goods have been subject to fluctuation and, in order to meet the demands of the market, it was necessary to find alternative transit routes that are certainly more complex and more expensive.
What are your expectations of the new Italian government for the logistics industry?
For the first time ever Italy has a woman prime minister. Now we’re waiting to see what the news and changes will be, compared to the governments that preceded her.
What are your plans for the industry, after you were elected as one of the national industry association Fedespedi’s vice-president in July?
I have many projects in my mind; developing our digital technology is one of the more important ones, especially improving the traceability of goods through the application of the future E-CMR. Another aspect that I’d like to draw great attention to is sustainability in the field of transport. The main topics I discussed at the Green Logistics Expo in Padua at the beginning of October addressed precisely these issues – developing digitalisation and sustainability in freight transport.
How do you see the future?
I’m always looking for new markets and a better performance, and thanks to some new network partnerships we can improve our services from time to time. We have to keep an eye on the general increase in costs and the trend of the European political and economic situation, and then evaluate our next steps.