A key focus of Van der Vlist is continuity. Not just of business operations, but with an emphasis on relationships. In this column, a number of people in the organisation who have been in service for more than 30 years will speak out, demonstrating exceptionally long-lasting relationships. Today, Herman (64 years old, 42 years of service) will tell us more about how he came to be associated with Van der Vlist, why he has worked in the organisation for so long, and how he has seen the organisation develop over the years.
I started when the company was still situated in Hoogblokland. I was approached by an employee of Van der Vlist, Piet Bikker (father of Jaap Bikker - Project Manager at Van der Vlist Projecten), to see if I could come along for a ride. At the end of the day, I was asked 'can you come back tomorrow?’. This went on all week. Towards the end of the week I was instructed to come by on Saturday, so we could look and see if there would be more to do for me.
So on Saturday I walked onto the Van der Vlist site and someone came up to me (it turned out to be Jaap van der Vlist Sr.) and said: 'Come on, we're going to pick out a truck for you'. That is what we did, and I never left.
At the time, Jaap van der Vlist had already taken over the company from his father, Dirk Sr. However, every Saturday you tried to be at Hoogblokland at 10 o'clock, because there would be coffee and gingerbread in the kitchen with Dirk Sr. and aunt Marie. Thereafter, you would hear the final planning for the following week.
In the past, you got a new truck every 2 or 3 years. The first trucks (for example the white DAF in the photos) got a new owner after that period of time. My fifth car was the first 4-axle DAF 95.400, which is also in the photos. Then I told Jaap Sr. that I didn't want a new one every time, but preferred to continue driving them longer myself. And that is what happened!
When I started working at Van der Vlist, some trucks were a different color and you could often see exactly who was coming just by looking at the truck. At a certain point, a new unanimous design was implemented. This consisted of the well-known orange color, which had been in use for a while, the transport emblem (this looked a bit like the old DAF logo), and a black door. Later this became the orange color with a yellow and green stripe, which was eventually replaced with the current design: the orange color with the power button and the slogan.
I have always enjoyed my work, and still do. When I started working, you were allowed to tinker a lot yourself, for example build a new spoiler under your truck. Besides working on the trucks, we also modified trailers ourselves, I really enjoyed that time. At one point we had a project team that made and modified everything themselves. Unfortunately this could not be continued at the time due to the economic crisis. Of course, my passion for repairing and modifying things remained. My grandchildren often say 'if grandpa can't fix it, nobody can', a first-class compliment!
What I have always appreciated about the company is that mistakes can be made. Sometimes things can go wrong, or not as well as you wanted. You then get the chance to try again. In addition, I still appreciate the work. In the past, we did go further away, but then there was an unbreakable rule that you flew home at least every other week to be with your family. Work is important, but family always remains at the center of everything. The furthest I have been back then was a trip to Morocco and a trip 400 kilometers behind Moscow. Nowadays, I still drive crisscross through Europe and regularly have a trip to my favorite destination, Spain.
Over the years, Van der Vlist has grown enormously. In the time of Jaap van der Vlist sr., there was mainly growth within transport, partly due to various takeovers. Under the current management, the company has grown more towards other activities, such as port and terminal activities.
Another change is that people used to have a lot of practical expertise. Now you see that people are more theoretically trained and that people with field expertise are harder to find. New employees often still have to learn a lot of practical skills, but there is room for that.
Over the years, I have been able to go on many wonderful trips, I have had many co-drivers (several of whom still work at Van der Vlist), and I have continued to enjoy the work. If all goes well, I hope to reach my 45th anniversary at Van der Vlist!
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