SC&RA NEWS
58
INTERNATIONAL AND SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT
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SEPTEMBER 2013
important parts of the industry – parts
that will either make or break a company:
safety and customer satisfaction. “One of
the most rewarding aspects of the job,
particularly a complex and challenging
one, is the satisfaction that comes with
flawless execution – where we are able
to present an invoice that matches the
quote, and the customer is beaming
with satisfaction. Having a competent,
motivated staff that ‘wears the brand’ is
vital, as well, and we consistently rely on
the expertise and input of our employees
to help develop efficient, safe solutions.”
DeVries has inherited a unique brand
of wisdom in his time with Challenger –
some of it age-old, some modern and
adaptable. “You have to rely on your
people to do a good job for you. All
competent employees strive to stand out
from the rest of the crowd, and allowing
and enabling them to do so is vital to the
success of any organisation. Secondly,
don’t be afraid to work together with
other asset-based carriers. We work in a
limited market, both equipment-wise and
customer-wise. Not every transportation
provider can do the specialized work that
we do. Find other companies that share
your goals and ethics, and if the need
arises, you have a valuable resource.”
He also appreciates the value of
relationships, with one in particular
ranking high on his list. “I believe SC&RA
membership is extremely valuable. As
mentioned in my previous point, working
together just makes sense in our industry.
It also allows us to work towards common
goals more efficiently. The SC&RA
has a host of valuable resources, from
permitting information to guidance and
advice on legal matters, and even access to
discounted insurance.”
To Switzerland
Across an ocean and through several
countries, we find that, as much as the
geography and culture might change, the
crane and transport challenges remain
similar, especially for the people in charge.
Andre Friderici is one of these people, and
his Switzerland-based company, Friderici
Special, has built a name for itself as a
full-service, specialized transport carrier
willing to move any load, at any time,
across the challenging terrain of not only
his home country, but throughout Europe
and around the world.
Friderici, administrator and technical
director at the business that bares his
name, operates a company that prides
itself on a belief system shared by many
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Chalmers is editor-in-chief at Thrive
Creative Services, a creative copywriting
agency based in Chicago, USA. For more
information see
of the industry’s success stories, including
one detail that more than a few crane and
specialized transport enterprises celebrate:
it’s a family business.
C r e a t e d i n 1 8 9 0 , i n Mo r g e s ,
Switzerland, Friderici Special is a fourth-
generation family business employing 175
people, with 80 trucks and 200 trailers and
semi-trailers of every kind and capacity.
Friderici Special has 11 telescopic cranes
and self erecting cranes in use locally,
and boasts an ability to move heavy and
oversized loads up to 500 tonnes. At the
helm are Andre and his brother, Jean-
Paul. Both men have a son in an essential
role at Friderici as well (assuring the
fifth generation).
Friderici Special, like Challenger, is
known for its willingness to take on any
job, no matter the challenges. Specializing
in the transport of railcars, locomotives
and city tramways is one unique service
Friderici provides, but the fun really starts
when the contract takes them up onto the
often-treacherous Swiss mountain roads,
with their famously unforgiving twists,
turns and downhill sections.
Andre Friderici has discovered that
his company benefits from strength
in numbers. He represents ASTAG
Switzerland (the Swiss association for
all road and transport companies) in the
European Association of Abnormal Road
Transport and Mobile Cranes (ESTA).
“Switzerland is a little state in the
middle of Europe, and we need good
contact with our friends and associations,
especially with the border countries. I’ve
been working in two ASTAG groups,
crane and heavy transport, for more than
twenty-five years, representing the ASTAG
Switzerland in the European ESTA.”
Since April, Friderici has held the
title president of heavy transport at
ESTA, representing 30 countries. His
goal is to harmonise a full spectrum of
procedures and requirements throughout
the European crane and specialized
transport industry.
Friderici has also been an SC&RA
member for 15 years, understanding
completely the value that this international
association brings to his day-to-day
operations. “The SC&RA membership has
provided us with professional contacts
and friends all over the world.”
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Frank DeVries
