KORTRIJK - The Kortrijk-based start-up company TransDirect of twenty-something Gilles Devriendt (22 y.) can look back on its maiden year with satisfaction. During its first year, the Kortrijk-based road freight forwarding company achieved a turnover of 400,000 euros. Steady growth is the ambition. In 2022, TransDirect aims for 1.5 million euros in turnover and 5,000 transports carried out. At the beginning of 2021, Gilles Devriendt called TransDirect into being. His goal: to conquer a place in the road transport sector with a somewhat alternative approach.
"We gather charters - that is, drivers who own their own trucks - into an international network and sell that capacity to our clients," explains Gilles Devriendt. "The charters may or may not use one of the trailers provided by TransDirect. The advantage of this working method: the motivation among charters is higher. Because they are self-employed and are paid fairly,correctly and on time. Moreover, they still enjoy the 'luxury' of a planning department that arranges the work on their behalf and can provide assistance with any problems if necessary."
While the fledgling TransDirect is developing step by step, the road transport market is facing enormous capacity problems. "Mainly due to a shortage of drivers," says Gilles Devriendt. "Other problems are also affectingshippers and carriers. The enormous waiting time at manufacturers for new trucks. The supply difficulties due to the corona crisis of truck parts.Skyrocketing diesel prices. The excessively long wait times at shippers. The often low respect that drivers experience at loading and unloading bays. And numerous other problems."
But Devriendt is not staying put. "Yet these problems also bring opportunities. The enormous capacity problems are causing the price of road transport to rise relatively much (for the first time in years)," he says."Price increases of 10 to 15% are certainly no exception here. The rate adjustments were therefore much needed, to bear the higher costs, but also to give breathing room to the transport companies, drivers and office staff."
Karel Cambien
