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Logistics in Catania: the commercial centre of eastern Sicily

With around 300,000 inhabitants, Catania is the second city of Sicily, and its metropolitan area stretches from the coast up the slopes of Mount Etna. The volcanic soil and the wide plain south of the city make the area one of the main citrus-growing regions in Italy, known in particular for blood oranges. Fruit, vegetables, wine and processed foods leave the province in large quantities, and moving them needs steady haulage capacity.

Industry has a distinctive profile too. The so-called Etna Valley brings together microelectronics and technology companies, including a large semiconductor plant. The industrial zone in the south of the city hosts manufacturers, wholesalers and distribution sites. Misterbianco, on the western edge of the city, has a large retail and commercial area, which keeps demand for road freight and pallet delivery steady all year.

The port of Catania handles ro-ro traffic and containers, and Catania Fontanarossa Airport ranks among the busiest airports in southern Italy. For many shippers from the UK, though, a direct transport remains the most practical way to reach customers on the island with bulky goods, machinery or complete pallet loads. The goods stay on board during the ferry crossing, so there is no additional handling in a port.

The route from the UK to Catania

Vehicles leave Britain on the Dover–Calais ferry or via Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Coquelles, cross France and enter Italy through one of the Alpine tunnels. From the Po plain, the A1 Autostrada del Sole leads via Bologna, Florence and Rome to Naples, and the A3 continues to Salerno. There, the A2 Autostrada del Mediterraneo runs the full length of Calabria down to Villa San Giovanni. A haulage route of this length needs careful planning.

At the tip of the peninsula, the vehicle boards one of the frequent ferries across the Strait of Messina and drives off in Sicily. The A18 then follows the Ionian coast past Taormina and Giarre to Catania. Italian restrictions for lorries over 7.5 tonnes on Sundays and public holidays are a standard part of our planning on this long run.

Customs for Sicily

Sicily belongs to the EU customs and VAT territory like the rest of Italy, so the usual rules for trade between Great Britain and the EU apply. Your goods need an export declaration in the UK and an import declaration in the EU, and both sender and consignee must have an EORI number. GVMS links the declarations to the vehicle at Dover or the Channel Tunnel. We do not handle customs clearance, so please have your customs agent prepare the documents before collection.

DAGO Express: your freight forwarder in Catania, organised end to end

Our network includes more than 50,000 vehicles in 38 countries, and over 15,000 companies book their road freight with DAGO Express. On a route as long as UK–Sicily, a breakdown need not mean a lost day: a replacement vehicle continues the delivery. Cross-border transport is carried out by verified partners holding a valid EU licence and, where required, an ADR licence. Every shipment is monitored around the clock, including at weekends and on public holidays.

Goods are insured through the Schunck Group up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, and additional cover for high-value freight can be arranged quickly. After booking, you get a tracking link, emails at collection and delivery, and access to the customer portal. Companies with regular shipments use the DAGO ShipperHub for orders, ETAs, KPI tracking and real-time reports, with export to PDF or Excel and ERP integration.

The online price calculator only needs postcodes, dimensions and weight to show a price in seconds. You can also send an email for a quote or book directly in the DAGO app. From Catania, the network reaches Palermo, Messina and the rest of Sicily.