“We take over the transport from the port of Rotterdam,” Bas explains. “Sometimes the containers first travel by inland shipping to the terminals in Born, Amsterdam or Zaandam. But by now, the German and French ports are also part of our daily routine. That’s when we get to work. Each week, with our team of five colleagues, we process around 600 containers — some for GDB Logistics and some for other customers. Our primary goal is to arrange everything as well as possible for the customer and have the container at the right place at the right time. We all work very hard to make that happen.”
Honesty is the best policy
Naturally, this comes with its share of challenges. Bas: “We do everything we can to get containers to their destination as efficiently as possible. But sometimes we face factors we simply can’t control — exemptions that turn out not to be correct, traffic jams, or delays at the terminal. In those cases, we pull out all the stops. We switch quickly with each other and with our colleagues at GDB Logistics. But if you’re called at 3 a.m., you try everything you can, but sometimes there’s just nothing left to arrange. And in those moments, we’re simply honest with the customer. And if we see beforehand that a delay is coming, we inform the customer immediately so they can prepare for it.”
That extra step for drivers
André adds: “While we aim to serve the customer as well as possible, we also look out for the drivers. We know exactly what matters to them, because we’ve all driven trucks ourselves. That’s why we plan routes efficiently and make sure the right codes are created in time, so they can keep moving. We constantly monitor all websites and portals so we can quickly adjust if anything changes. But we’re happy to go a step further. Driving and rest time regulations require drivers to stop after nine hours. They prefer to do that somewhere they can shower and enjoy a proper meal. Eating a microwave meal in the truck isn’t ideal. So we take that into account as much as possible when planning.”
Just like a real family
When asked whether De Boer is unique in its approach, both men agree. André: “We’re unique in several ways. Our team is so well attuned to each other that we only need half a word. We take over each other’s tasks whenever someone is overloaded. And the contact with the drivers is great. We really care about them. That’s where you can truly feel we’re a family business.” Bas adds: “A typical example is that we don’t have phone menus when you call us. There’s always personal contact, an informal atmosphere, and short lines. And on the work floor, it feels like you’re sitting in someone’s living room. We all work together, share the same goal, and know each other well — even privately. Exactly how things are in a good family.”
