At the end of 2021 he started studying to get the driving license (C, E, CQC) and today he drives the brand new Volvo E-Truck we use for Levissima. Claudio De Bernardi, 33, joined the Maganetti team less than two years ago, with no previous experience as a truck driver: our group provides a training path for young people living in the Valtellina area who decide to take up this profession.
Ensuring a generational turnover among drivers is getting more and more complicated in our industry and we’ve been thinking about possible solutions to encourage young people. The more linear path may sound obvious, but it works: since it’s very difficult finding young drivers with license and certificates, let’s look for young people with the right skills and help them become professional drivers. There's more, by the way. Creating opportunities for local youth is an important element of our commitment to social responsibility and sustainability: we’re a certified B Corp and we take it very seriously. Providing a path for young people to get driving licenses and certifications is a good investment for the future of Maganetti and their future.
For De Bernardi this adventure started almost by chance, he says. Over the years Claudio has lived in Germany, Australia, Ireland and France, then returned to Valtellina. He’s worked as a web developer and as a blacksmith: “My last job was good, but after a while I was ready for new challenges. Working as a truck driver was totally off plan: it represented a very interesting challenge and Maganetti is a company that’s growing and innovating, so I decided to start this journey. At the end of 2021 I was hired by Maganetti and I enrolled in the courses for my license. While I was studying for the exams I worked in the receipts office, getting to know the company and its organisation. I got my license and certifications on the first attempt and since July I have been “enlisted” as a driver".
The reception was positive, says De Bernardi, both in the first weeks, when he began to work alongside other drivers on some routes, and as an "autonomous" driver: "Maybe it’s because my neighbor works for Maganetti", jokes Claudio. "Maganetti is a positive environment, I feel appreciated and motivated. I want to make the most of this opportunity and this experience". The offering to drive the E-Truck came a while before the vehicle arrived in Tirano and De Bernardi welcomed it with enthusiasm: "I was very pleased that Maganetti thought of me for this job - he explains -, it’s an exciting opportunity".
In recent weeks Claudio has become familiar with the new truck and the hi-tech equipment of the electric Volvo FM and regularly performs the service between the Levissima plant in Cepina and the logistics center in Bassa Valtellina. Meanwhile, he made another important decision: "I enrolled at the university, studying Business Administration for innovative companies - he says -. This school offers distance learning and I can study during work breaks".
