Marco Manfredini, COO of GRUBER Logistics, interviewed by “Logistica Management”
The Italian magazine Logistica Management regularly interviews some of the leading companies in the logistics sector to take stock of how the market is evolving, the current strategic challenges, and the trends shaping its future. In this interview, the COO of GRUBER Logistics, Marco Manfredini, shares his perspective on several key topics: from operational excellence to innovation, through to opportunities for sustainable growth in an increasingly dynamic market.
1. General overview
In 2025, the market was once again characterized by rising costs and stable or slightly declining rates. Most companies reduced their production capacity, while the issue of driver shortages persists, albeit less visibly, due to market stagnation. After three years of crisis, several companies have exited the market, leading to a progressive consolidation within the industry.
2026 opens with a further reduction in capacity, both in transport and distribution, accompanied by an upward trend in freight rates and a continuous increase in costs. This year confirms significant—indeed worsened—challenges for rail transport in terms of capacity, service levels, and economic sustainability. For the first time, an increased preference for road transport over intermodal freight has been recorded. The end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 are thus shaped by an unpredictable macroeconomic landscape.
2. Planning and governance in an evolving system
We are shaping a defensive business framework, with a strong focus on cost control—especially structural costs—and on flexibility across all fronts: organizational, operational, and commercial.
3. Impact of the new Italian regulatory framework
The regulatory updates are certainly positive, but they have the potential to jeopardize the economic sustainability of small and medium-sized transport and distribution companies, which still support a large portion of Italy’s operational capacity.
4. Talent and training
Talent management and training activities, while strategic, often clash with structural cost containment targets, and finding the right balance will be challenging. The impact of automation and digitalization is certainly also of strategic importance.
5. Decarbonization, intermodality, resilience
The service level of European rail freight hampers large-scale decarbonization projects, which inevitably must rely on rail. Investment in R&D for alternative fuels continues, but these currently cannot compensate for the shortfalls in intermodal transport.
6. Digitalization, artificial intelligence, and automation
We are working to implement tools that automate low-value-added, repetitive tasks, while we are still far from automating complex planning activities that involve managing numerous independent variables.
7. The rise of robotics
We have already deployed several solutions into production and continue to test new prototypes.
8. 2025 review and 2026 priorities
In 2025, we achieved a consolidation and streamlining of our organizational and decision-making structure, leading to a significant reduction in overhead costs and a subsequent return to profitability. In 2026, we aim to further increase organizational and operational flexibility, with targeted planning of our operational and commercial mix, alongside strengthening our financial position to be fully prepared for market developments.