How did you start in the business ?

In 1970, my father Antonio was initially a driver-deliveryman for a company called Compagnie Fruitière, established at Rungis. Then he set up his own transport company ITD (International Transport Dos Santos) in 1993, based in the flower sector of Rungis.
In 2001, I left Snecma to go into the family business, as manager in charge of the financial, industrialization part of the business. I handled the company’s computerization and traceability.

How did the company develop ?

When I joined, there were seven lorries and seven drivers. I then doubled the fleet, hired personnel and made some major investments. We then created two rotating crews. My father wasn’t too happy with these decisions. Today, there are 23 vehicles for 37 drivers, including twelve 40-ton vehicles and eleven 19-ton vehicles. The goal is to have 60 drivers to increase productivity. The company runs 24/7. Our activity is the collection of fruit and vegetables in the Paris region, within a radius of 150 kilometres, and our producer clients have used this to develop their business with mass distribution. We carry 300,000 pallets of fruit and vegetables a year in the Paris Region, which represents 1.2 million kilometres travelled. Furthermore, we are market leader at Rungis in terms of mass distribution shipments. Our 200 clients are equally split between mass distribution and Market shippers. Today, to bulk our volumes, we are going to invest in 26-ton vehicles to replace the 19-tons. Financially, that means 7 tons more shipped for the exact same cost. The goods are becoming more voluminous and heavier for a given number of kilometres travelled. As a result, we have to adapt to become a perfect match for the goods shipped and equip ourselves accordingly. To achieve this, we have controlled temperature vehicles equipped in mono, bi or tri-temperature controls. Refrigerated vehicles are very expensive to buy and maintain and the technology evolves very rapidly, so they have to be regularly replaced every three years.

What is your strategy for development?

Our development reached a turning point in 2007, with the entry of a shareholder, Primever (a national and international fruit and vegetable shipping broker) which was set up in 2007 by other carriers. This allows us to provide a global offer to our clients from Rungis and the Paris region, giving national and international coverage. ITD operates upstream (collection) and Primever “redistributes” all over France and abroad with its vehicles. As the only platform operating 24/7, Primever handles 425,000 shipments a year. Its clientele is composed of 30% at Rungis and 70% outside the market (major brands).

Volumes are dropping in the Paris region today, because the importers have moved operations to Antwerp, which has become the most efficient port in Europe. For us this represents a significant extra distance and cost and our aim now is to bring all these importers back to Rungis Market by offering them a buffer-stock. In this respect, the development of rail at Rungis would be a good thing. Combined rail/road transport is an excellent tool to bulk our volumes and we support it. Our logistics schema gives wholesalers a lot of flexibility in shipping times and efficient delivery solutions by grouping shipments plus, shortly, barcode pallets for more accurate traceability.

What is the status of the transport sector ?

It is a damaged sector in a complex market. The margin varies between 0.4% for most companies and 2% for the best. Our companies are among the most highly taxed due to antipollution laws and other directives to protect the environment. Furthermore, the road/rail combined transport we support is inoperative because there is no rational, appropriate management by SNCF.

What do you think of Rungis Market ?

Through its strategic positioning, Rungis is an exceptional central hub, a platform that works. However, it would be good to open up the Market more to importers, who represent 10 to 15% of volumes and who are looking for a logistics platform with such a capacity.