TNT Express has opened a new depot in Venice serving the city and surrounding areas with a mixof vans and motor-boats.
The new 3,776 sqm facility, where 66 people work, went into service in December with a fleet of26 vehicles as well as six motor-boats.
The vehicles serve an area stretching from Padua to Treviso as well as the city itself, whilethe motor-boats are used to shuttle goods to the city centre and islands in the lagoon. The companyalso uses ferries for some of the islands.
The boats are steered by professional pilots, making the Venice branch the only TNT branchworldwide employing sailors, according to TNT Express Italy.
The new office, located in the industrial area of Marcon, replaces a smaller facility in Mestre.It has 32 loading docks for vans and trucks and the sorting system can process up to 2,000 packagesan hour.
Luca Voltolina, head of the Venice depot, explained that the new depot would enable TNT toreduce operating costs and speed up deliveries to customers in the historic city centre. “Makingexpress deliveries in such a historic, cultural and environmental location as Venice involvesnumerous additional difficulties,” he commented.
The motor-boats operate from a small branch office located alongside one of the city’s historiccanals that leads directly into the lagoon, thus offering direct waterway access to the historiccentre and the islands.
TNT Italy said the new Venice depot serves diverse industries from mechanical manufacturing totextiles and e-commerce deliveries.
