On August 15, 2025, Gilbert De Rese died at the age of 81, just five days after celebrating his diamond wedding with his wife Agnes Vandewalle. In 1965, Gilbert not only got married, he also laid the foundation for the companies Transport De Rese, Derma Trucks and Miles, which together today employ 200 people.
In 1965 Gilbert bought his first truck. From rural Zuienkerke he transported agricultural products and live animals throughout Belgium. It was hard work, but demand quickly grew. The big breakthrough came in the 1970s. The arrival of intercontinental container ships in the port of Zeebrugge created new opportunities: wool, meat, fruit and ores found their way via the quay to the trucks of De Rese. Gilbert invested in additional trucks and drivers – the start of a strong growth curve.
With increasing freight transport, the need for storage space also grew. In 1981, a 3000 m² warehouse appeared in the Blauwe Toren industrial park in Bruges. Just a few years later – in 1987 – the operational employees moved to the OCHZ terminal in Zeebrugge, the hub for deep-sea containers. In 1991, hazardous substances were also added.
Bulk
In 1989, the company was given new offices in the Zeebrugge Transport Zone, where it would remain for fifteen years. Three years later, son Marnix took over the management. Under his wings, Transport De Rese expanded into bulk transport and the fleet became increasingly larger.
Not only the transport company, but also the fleet got its own story. In 1992, Agnes and Gilbert, together with their son Erwin, founded Derma Trucks, an official Volvo Trucks garage. Today the business is run by son Erwin and grandson Thibaut, the son of daughter Christel.
In 2004, Transport De Rese re-centralized all its activities in the Blauwe Toren industrial park, strategically located near the N31, E40, A11 and the port of Zeebrugge. The company now has 120 tractors and 150 semi-trailers and the family business remains firmly in the hands of the second and third generations, with son Marnix and grandson Milan at the helm.
