Transport Tom Van Steenkiste resolutely opts for progress. Instead of adopting a wait -and -see attitude, the company uses a proactive strategy and invests in a targeted manner in innovation and technological innovation. With this approach, the company anticipates sectoral evolutions.
Exactly 30 years ago the company Tom Van Steenkiste was founded by Tom and his wife Kathy Devos. The company recently started using a second location at the Ruiselede SME Zone, equipped with offices, car wash and spacious parking.
You explicitly opt for specialization; What does this mean in concrete terms?
Tom Van Steenkiste: Our roots are in the animal feed and manure trade. The creation of the Manure Bank in the 90s brought a need for the sales and transport of liquid manure, among other things. Step by step we grew in this niche, with further specialization and expansion especially for the transport of liquid substances such as manure, sludge and waste water.
Thorough product knowledge and high -quality equipment are essential to prevent contamination. It is therefore crucial that we work very accurately and hygienically. Errors’ errors can cause serious environmental damage, so tanks and accessories are carefully cleaned after each transport.
Part of our work is commissioned by the Flemish government where tenders are used and the requirements may be even higher than with an average client. Many of our transport traffic are followed in real time from the government. That is why we immediately invested in this when the on -board computers have invested in this to be able to manage and analyze all types of data.
Digitizing documents has been a fixed fact for many years. But also for implementing tools that improve safety on the trucks, we are always at the first before these tools become standard such as tire pressure system.
Does the sputtering economy have consequences for the organization?
T. van Steenkiste: We are not so much dependent on international trade, so we have little trouble in that point of view. Due to the public tenders, we also have a form of fixed income and transport volume which a certain buffer entails. But this does not mean that everything runs from a slate roof. We depend on the weather conditions that we have cars about one moment and the other moment too little.
High expected from HVO fuel
What about the emission -free driving?
T. Van Steenkiste: I don’t think we will switch directly to electric vehicles. For companies that run between different distribution centers where they can charge again during loading and unloading, I certainly see this feasible.
With us you can barely plan ahead. About 10 % of our daily journeys are last minutes. But also a lot of rain or little rain, dry periods or wet … It is just a few things that have a major impact on the transport volume that we must have available.
In theory we could perfectly electrify our fleet, but will people succeed in getting enough energy here on location, for example? Moreover, today you are still with a higher own weight of the vehicle, which results in less loading capacity. In our case, that would mean extra transport since we are always loaded up to 44 tons. The purchase price is also a lot more expensive than the classic diesel truck.
On today I see the most future in HVO from vegetable oil or wasteolia and fats. At the beginning of this year, the question of a customer was also asked to ride with this. I think this slope seems to be the most realistic to be completely CO2 neutral by 2030. The customers must realize that this will make the transport a lot more expensive.
A close team with a shared mission
The aging of the profession of driver has been going on for a few years. How can you handle this?
T. van Steenkiste: Aging is one thing, but we also see that we have to take the work-life balance of our employees into account much more often, which was not questioned by itself. We are in a sector where people often have to work at the weekend, but where people used to work until Saturday evening this is now much less the case.
We try to invest as much as our Human Capital, because in addition to a flawless fleet, they form the company’s signboard. The day of the truck driver is one of the moments in which we highlight them extra, but we also ensure a fair and correct remuneration. This year we will also go with all drivers and their partners on weekends in response to our 30th anniversary. Moreover, we always invest in trucks full option because they finally spend a lot of hours in their cabin behind the wheel.
How do you see the company evolving further?
T. van Steenkiste: The sector undergoes a turbulent period under the influence of world politics and the economic measures that this entails. For the time being we will remain a bit out of shot within our niche here, but here too we see the regulations changing at a rapid pace.
Expanding the own fleet is not an issue today. We grow through the use of subcontractors, including some of our own drivers who have chosen to drive independently with our trailers.
Transport Tom Van Steenkiste in ‘t Kort
• Establishment: 1995
• Management: Tom Van Steenkiste & Kathy Devos
• Social seat: Aalter-Lotenhulle
• Operation seat: Wingene (Ruiselede)
• Specialty: transport of liquid manure and waste? agrotransport
• Vehicle fleet: 23 tractors, of which 16 Volvo’s, 3 Kippers, 4 Walking Floors, 24 Tank trailers
