A passion for trucks: Simone Ottoboni drives the Edition 1 model

Over the course of 16 years, Simone Ottoboni's immense passion for trucks took him from being an employee to an owner-driver. He has established a specialist fruit and veg transport company. "My family had an agricultural machinery rental firm, but as a kid, I was always interested in trucks," explains Simone. When I completed my training as a mechanical appraisal specialist, it was this love of trucks that led me to get my advanced driving licence and look for a job as a driver." 

In 2004, he started working at a refrigerated transport company, where he stayed for 13 years until he decided – also in part thanks to his employer – to set up his own company called Si.Mo Trans based in Castagnaro in the province Verona: "I started off with two semitrailer/tractor combinations. I drove the one and an employee drove the other. I was driving on behalf of the company I used to work for, as well as for the Trans Lusia consortium in the province Rovigo. Thanks to the orders from both of them, I was able to get a third vehicle in 2019." 

At night, we then start our return journey, albeit this time with an intermediary stop in Verona: "We unload at the fruit wholesaler and after a further break, we load up for the consortium platform, where we arrive in the afternoon. Then we have another nine hours until we get home, from where the tour can restart." This triangular method means that Simone's trucks are always laden, but the real challenge is arriving punctually at all loading and unloading destinations as well as strictly maintaining the temperature in the load area. 

Simone and his two drivers spend most of their week living in their trucks. That's why the businessman from Veneto is keen to have vehicles which are both safe and comfortable, and not just while driving, but also during rest breaks too. This is why Simone opted for the brand with the three-pointed star and, in particular, for the brand-new Actros Edition 1 model: "I wanted it as soon as I saw it for the first time." 

He's especially pleased with the fuel consumption: "Because I always drive the same routes with the same weights, I did a test with the Actros where I spent a week with Active Drive Assist switched off and a week with it switched on the whole time. In the second week, I had a route performance where I was able to get 300 metres more out of a litre of fuel – and for me, that's a really relevant value."

Photos: Michele Latorre