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Logistics in Taranto: the city of two seas

Taranto has around 190,000 inhabitants and lies between two bodies of water, the open Mar Grande and the enclosed lagoon of the Mar Piccolo, which is why it is often called the city of two seas. On its western outskirts stands one of the largest steelworks in Europe, and the port is among the most important industrial harbours in Italy, handling raw materials, steel products and containers. The Italian Navy also has a major base here.

The industrial landscape goes beyond steel. At Grottaglie, a short drive to the north-east, aircraft structures are produced for international programmes, and the local airport focuses on cargo and aerospace activities. Maintenance contractors, engineering firms and suppliers of spare parts serve these plants, and their daily work depends on regular haulage.

The province is also known for agriculture. Around Manduria, vineyards produce Primitivo wine, olive groves stretch across the plain, and the clementines of the Gulf of Taranto have their own protected designation. Martina Franca, in the hills of the Itria valley, is home to a clothing industry. For shippers from the UK, one partner and a single booking process cover all of these sectors.

The route from the UK to Taranto

Vehicles cross from Dover to Calais by ferry or from Folkestone to Coquelles on Le Shuttle, drive through France and enter Italy via the Mont Blanc or Fréjus Tunnel. In the Po plain, the route joins the A1 to Bologna, where the A14 Adriatica begins. The A14 then follows the Adriatic coast past Rimini, Ancona, Pescara and Foggia to Bari before turning inland and ending at Taranto.

From Taranto, the SS106 continues along the Ionian coast towards Calabria, and the SS7 leads east to Brindisi. Because the journey is long, our planners include the Italian driving bans for lorries over 7.5 tonnes on Sundays and public holidays in the timetable from the start.

Customs between Great Britain and Italy

For goods travelling from Great Britain to Italy, an export declaration in the UK and an import declaration in the EU are needed, since Italy is part of the EU customs union. Both the sender and the recipient must be registered with an EORI number. At the Channel, GVMS links the declarations to the lorry with a Goods Movement Reference. Please agree these steps with your customs agent before the collection date, as we do not prepare customs declarations or handle customs clearance.

Your freight forwarder for the route between the UK and Taranto

DAGO Express offers access to more than 50,000 vehicles in 38 countries, and over 15,000 companies use this network for their freight transport. If a vehicle breaks down on the long journey to the south, a replacement vehicle takes over the transport. International runs are handled by verified partners with a valid EU licence and, if the goods require it, an ADR licence. We monitor every consignment around the clock, including weekends and public holidays, and our processes are ISO 9001 certified.

Your goods are insured through the Schunck Group up to 8.33 SDR per kilogram of gross weight, and additional insurance for expensive spare parts can be arranged at short notice. You receive a tracking link after booking and emails at collection and delivery. In the DAGO ShipperHub, all orders, ETAs, KPIs and real-time reports are available in one place, with export to PDF or Excel.

The online price calculator returns a price in seconds once you enter the postcodes, dimensions and weight. You can also book directly in the DAGO app or request a quote by email. From Taranto, the network reaches Brindisi, Lecce, Basilicata and the rest of southern Italy.