Vos Logistics and ICTS celebrate 25 years of partnership this year. To mark this occasion, Pieter Derksen, Purchase Manager, and Csaba Boda, Manager Network Support, visited ICTS in Ghent and Zeebrugge, Belgium. Together, they reviewed core business lines with Joop Roijakkers, Vice President Rental, Peter Andries, Country Manager Rental Belgium, and Roy Klaassen, Country Manager Rental the Netherlands. Following this review, Mr Derksen and Mr Boda sat down with Robine, Marketing Manager at ICTS, to look back on this significant milestone.
Being long-time partners, what do you think is the recipe for such a great collaboration?
Pieter Derksen: “Especially for our multi-modal business, having a dependable partner in key port areas is essential for delivering the high-quality services our customers expect. Over the years, ICTS has consistently proven to be a trustworthy and reliable partner in this. This dependability is the primary reason we have maintained such a successful partnership for so long.”
How would you describe your partnership with the ICTS Team?
Pieter Derksen: “In addition to the repair and maintenance services we primarily use in Ghent and Zeebrugge, we also make use of your rental services, to cover the seasonality volumes, especially in the Netherlands.”
Csaba Boda: “We also rely on your 24/7 breakdown services, which provide crucial support when we encounter trailer issues. We’ve found that this round-the-clock service ensures that problems are resolved promptly and cost effectively.”
Pieter Derksen: “I’ve been in the game for quite a while now and have especially built up a good relationship with Mr Joop Roijakkers and Mr Jan Coene. Our relationship dates back to the days of IRS, well before 2006, I think. As soon as they started with offering Dutch MOT, we were among the first to knock on their doors. Csaba mainly works with operational staff, such as Christopher Mascaux.”
Joop Roijakkers: “Together, we came to the conclusion that Vos Logistics has been a customer of ICTS (formerly IRS) since 1999, the year we started with Dutch MOT. This means our partnership reaches 25 years this year!”
What does the future look like for ICTS and Vos Logistics?
Pieter Derksen: “Innovation will play a crucial role for us. Obtaining and sharing data will become increasingly important for tracking costs and shaping strategies. Decisions based on costs about which equipment to buy and why will be key. This will be vital for our future, together with all our partners who provide these services. Moreover, I hope Vos Logistics will also be able to focus more on rental, as it indicates business growth and serves as a short-term solution while we plan for long-term investments in new trailers.”
Wow, 25 years of partnership! Let’s conclude this interview with some final reflections.
Pieter Derksen: “In all honesty, referring back to your first question, we have maintained this partnership for so long because we must provide high-quality service to our customers. To achieve this, we seek service providers that consistently deliver at the right level. We operate with multi-modal hubs, and rely on partners like ICTS in Ghent, Zeebrugge, and the Netherlands.
This collaboration is not a one-off. We work together continuously to achieve our goals. Our partnership is built on ongoing cooperation and mutual success.”
From left to right: Peter Andries (ICTS), Pieter Derksen & Csaba Boda (Vos Logistics), Roy Klaassen (ICTS)