“Your own vehicle, great colleagues, and they really take care of you.”

Jesse Kooij (21) from Waddinxveen completed his Transport and Logistics Management studies at STC (Shipping and Transport College) in Rotterdam’s Waalhaven in 2023. He had always wanted to become a driver, just like his father, who used to work for Zwatra (part of the Boerman Group). “I’ve had that dream ever since I went along with him on trips as a boy.”

On Monday morning, Jesse starts his day with his colleagues at Zwatra’s working place, less than ten minutes from the center of Delft. Today, he is transporting empty and full reels for high-voltage cables—a routine job for Jesse and his DAF with Lowdecker, a low transport vehicle suited for reel transport.

"Having my own vehicle is one of the best things about working at Zwatra," says Jesse. He points to the cabin interior: "I decide how to set up my truck myself, and I can find my materials quickly." His job gives him the freedom to organize the cabin exactly how he wants.

After finishing his studies, Jesse started as a driver with another transport company. That didn’t suit him as well: "It was much more impersonal. It’s hard to get to know colleagues when they leave on Monday and only return on Friday. I just couldn’t find my rhythm." He still decided to reach out to Zwatra, where he had applied before. "Just come by when you have time," they told him. And they immediately had a truck ready for him: “I could start right away.”

At Zwatra, Jesse learns a lot on the job, but also from his colleagues: "There are really experienced drivers here who know exactly what it’s like to drive in the Botlek area or internationally. They have excellent problem-solving skills and are very flexible, no matter the client or situation."

Jesse looks back positively on his onboarding period: "You often drove in convoys of three trucks, so colleagues could always help you with tips." Even now, Jesse meets colleagues daily at clients’ sites. They help each other, consult briefly, or share a joke: "You notice right away: you’re really part of a great group of colleagues. And it’s just a fun team to be around."

Back in the cabin, Jesse taps on his electronic tachograph: "It’s not mandatory to take courses on rest periods, but it says a lot about Zwatra that this is actually encouraged here." He sees it as a good example of how Zwatra invests in its staff. With safety in mind, he also gladly took an anti-slip course and still wants to take the ADR course. “We also have plenty of work here for that.”

Jesse concludes: "If they see that you really put in effort and show what you can do, you get full freedom here for more challenges." And that, for him, is the biggest advantage of working at Zwatra and within the Boerman Group: "Here, you really are seen."