UK to San Salvo, Italy: Kevin’s Journey

EUROPEAN ROAD HAULAGE · DRIVER JOURNEY

One route, three cargo requirements: ambient delivery in the UK, frozen freight at −20°C to Foggia, then grapes at +4°C for Ashford.

This is a real example of UK to Italy haulage as a sequence of connected deliveries, reloads and border crossings. In September 2026, TES driver Kevin linked Felixstowe, Swindon and Reading with Dover, Switzerland, San Salvo and Foggia in southern Italy. The job began with a UK pallet delivery, continued with an export load for Italy and now follows Kevin as he prepares to return from southern Italy with 26 pallets of grapes for Ashford, Kent.

A UK job with a European second leg

The driver’s notes begin with 26 ambient pallets from Felixstowe to Swindon for Aldi. After completing that first leg, Kevin reloaded in Reading with 13 pallets of frozen freight for Foggia, with the load specified at −20°C. That turned the domestic delivery into a temperature-controlled export movement across Europe.

That sequence is a practical feature of road freight. The vehicle has to be in the right place for the next load, and each handover needs to fit the plan that follows. Here, the Swindon delivery was followed by a Reading collection, then a journey south to Dover and onwards to Italy.

From Reading to Dover and across the Channel

For the export leg, Kevin headed from Reading towards Dover. At 08:29 on 23 September, he reported that he was waiting in the queue to book onto a P&O ferry to Calais. It is a short update, but it captures a key stage in a UK to Europe road movement: the load must connect with the crossing before the continental road journey can continue.

Ferry timings, vehicle movements and delivery plans all have to work together. The crossing is one part of the route, with the onward journey, customs formalities, driving time and the delivery window still to manage after the vehicle reaches mainland Europe.

Swiss customs, a planned break and the Gotthard Tunnel

Kevin’s journey notes also record customs formalities completed through the Activ app in Switzerland. He described the process as straightforward. From there, the route continued towards the Gotthard Tunnel, an important part of the passage through the Swiss Alps on the way south.

The same update notes a planned 45-minute break before continuing. On a long international run, a planned pause is part of the driving schedule and the driver’s welfare, not an afterthought. Kevin later described the journey as around 1,500 miles, making careful pacing especially important.

San Salvo: a pause on the way south

On 25 September, Kevin sent an update from San Salvo, Italy, and again noted the need for a 45-minute break during the long journey. The message puts a human detail into the route: international haulage depends on experienced drivers managing the distance safely, as well as on the vehicle, load and paperwork.

Foggia marks the end of leg two

A separate update on 25 September marks Foggia as the finishing point for leg two. The 13-pallet load from Reading had reached its destination in southern Italy. Kevin’s latest update moves the story on: after the Foggia delivery, the next reload is in Scanzano Jonico, Italy. Kevin is preparing to return to the UK with 26 pallets of grapes for Ashford, Kent; the load is specified at +4°C. The sequence now spans three different cargo requirements: ambient goods in the UK, frozen freight at −20°C for the Italian delivery, then chilled produce at +4°C on the UK-bound leg.

The notes describe the wider Ashford round trip as 3,021 miles. That figure gives a sense of the scale of the work recorded, while the day-by-day messages show what such a movement involves: a domestic delivery, a correctly timed reload, a ferry crossing, customs completed en route, a managed break and a clear delivery point. The return load from Scanzano Jonico to Ashford is 26 pallets of grapes, with a +4°C temperature instruction.

European road haulage from a Felixstowe base

This journey illustrates three distinct freight requirements: 26 pallets of ambient goods to Swindon, 13 pallets of frozen freight at −20°C to Foggia, and 26 pallets of grapes at +4°C from Scanzano Jonico to Ashford. Temperature-controlled European haulage depends on matching the trailer setting and journey plan to each consignment while protecting the cargo throughout the route.

TES’s wider service range covers different transport requirements, including European road haulage, container delivery, ambient and chilled transport and curtain-side delivery. The appropriate vehicle and service depend on the cargo, collection point and destination.

Based in Felixstowe, TES supports freight movements from ports across the UK to destinations throughout Europe. Its wider work includes container transport, refrigerated and ambient freight, and trailer deliveries such as Kevin’s palletised route. The right vehicle and service depend on the cargo and destination. Kevin’s journey is one example of a UK delivery plan connecting with a longer route into Italy. His latest update records a 26-pallet grape load at +4°C from Scanzano Jonico to Ashford, Kent, with Kevin preparing to start the UK-bound return.