At the Transport & Logistics fair in Antwerp, HSSD Logistics was named one of the Gazelles among the medium-sized companies in the transport sector. The figures speak for themselves: from 3 employees in 2021 to 15 in 2024 and turnover growth from 276,829 euros in 2020 to 27,409,927 euros in 2024. The family business is strongly committed to flexibility.
As is often the case in the transport sector, Davy Lievens got into it from an early age. His father drove a truck and his godfather had his own transport company. “I rode along every holiday,” he says. Davy first drove vans and fixed trucks before obtaining his CE driving license in 2003. Like his father, Davy started with sea container transport. He gained years of experience as a driver at various companies, until he decided to become a self-employed driver in 2008. It was the start of Transport Davy Lievens, together with his partner Sylvie and his son Sam.
Helena Boden joined the team on July 1, 2019. “Helena immediately turned out to be an administrative tower of strength,” says Davy. “Today she is a permanent fixture in the company – and in the family.” In 2020, in the middle of the corona period, Davy decided to take matters into his own hands. No more trips as a subcontractor, but developing your own company. This evolution led to a new name and a new structure in 2020: HSSD Logistics. “A nod to who we are: Helena, Sam, Sylvie and Davy. “Corona was a bit of a blessing for us,” he looks back. “We were sitting at home in the living room and wondered why we didn’t just start ourselves.”
Shipping containers
The first employee was Bart De Wachter, who is still a fixture on the schedule today. “In the first phase we started with drivers who worked for us as a subcontractor, but now we employ 25 drivers. We found them very quickly. They get a new car and we pay on time and correctly. We still mainly do sea containers. The majority of our turnover comes from work in the port of Antwerp.”
HSSD Logistics is no longer a pure container carrier. The company today offers tautliner services throughout Europe, groupage for smaller shipments, loading and unloading of consol boxes and for companies that rely on just-in-time deliveries and fast turnaround times: warehousing and cross docking. In addition to its own employees, HSSD also has many subcontractors for all these assignments. “Every day between 150 and 200 cars drive for us,” says Davy. “We work closely with a Romanian partner who operates 35 cars, also in our colours.”
Spend the night in a cabin
Most HSSD Logistics drivers are away from home during the week. “They leave on Monday and drive until Friday or Saturday,” says Davy. “They spend the night in their tractor and that makes it easier for planning to use the trucks as optimally as possible. Every driver has his own truck, which he can also take home.”
Flexibility remains the company’s DNA. Davy gives a striking example: “Today a customer called who needed transport for a container in Brussels in the afternoon. We will respond immediately. The customer needs to be helped.”
Parties
COO Stephanie Van Hoeywegen is responsible for direct contact with the customer. “I accept rides from customers and the planners then work on them,” she says. “It is essential that you fulfill the wishes of the customers.” Stephanie lives a stone’s throw from the company and comes to work on foot, which also ensures a close bond with the company.
It soon becomes clear that HSSD Logistics is more than just a workplace. “We also see each other outside working hours,” says Davy. “Parties, events… That atmosphere extends to the workplace. People feel that they are helping to make this young company great.”
Today, HSSD is still housed in a shared building in Temse, but that will soon change. “The building will be completely ours from January,” says Davy. “Then we can park our vehicles here and use the warehouse much more intensively. We will also be able to palletize products for customers.”
