The pros in ports: why Heirwegh Transport & Logistics trusts in the Actros
Economics & Logistics
Heirwegh Transport & Logistics has established itself as a logistics hub and container transport expert.
New Actros: 17 years ago, the first Actros established itself among the fleet of Heirwegh Transport & Logistics. Today, it represents a major share of the entire company fleet.
The Actros moves slowly up to the loading quay. Its driver, Antonio Costa, has the situation well under control, systematically checking both of the MirrorCam screens. “You can see so much more, and it makes driving and working much more relaxing.” He drives on a daily basis with a combination made up of an Actros 2651 with leading axle and a refrigerated trailer, something of a rarity at Heirwegh. The majority of the 36 trucks operated by the logistics specialist based in Zele are used for container transport operations.
“After conducting demonstration drives with trucks from a number of different manufacturers back in 2003, Antonio recommended I give the Actros a try,” says Tom Claeys, Managing Director of Heirwegh Transport & Logistics. He took over the logistics company in 1995 from the Heirwegh family and rapidly turned it into a company which focussed on container transport. A decision which has proven to be a successful one: “Container transport continued to be our speciality, although our portfolio has now also been expanded to include low-loaders and platform trucks, as well as hazardous goods transport and refrigerated transport operations.”
Tom Claeys used the location of his business between Lokeren and Dendermonde to turn it into a logistics hub for almost all of the businesses in the local area.
“We mainly work with the ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. Over the past years, we've also invested in our own terminal tractor unit. As a result, our customers enjoy problem-free delivery. Plus, in 2017 we bought a container stacker so that we can process the containers ourselves. What's more, we'll soon be building a new electrical cabin that has sufficient capacity to plug in several refrigerated containers. This will allow us to meet the requirements for transporting and handling medicines and foodstuffs,” explains Tom Claeys, whose company is thus also GDP and AEO-certified.
“It’s in our nature to go the extra mile for our customers,” says Tom Claeys. That’s why the businessman is already considering solutions for the traffic problems which are expected to arise in the coming years around Antwerp: “The Oosterweel link road has forced us to be a little more vigilant in our planning. Our options include, for example, leaving empty containers with colleagues, swapping them in Zeebrugge or using night-time shuttles and opening the terminals at night.
In any case, we need to be in a position to rely wholly on our fleet.” 17 years after Antonio Costa’s recommendation, the company today has 28 trucks whose roots can be traced back to Stuttgart. “Our vehicles always need to be ready for operation and they also need sufficient safety equipment on-board. The assistance systems of Mercedes‑Benz Trucks make a real difference for me.”
Photos: Dirk Willemen
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5 comments
Gruss Andreas
Gruss Andreas
Prachtig wagenpark maar tis daar werkendag. De baas is wel een fijne gast.
Prachtig wagenpark maar tis daar werkendag. De baas is wel een fijne gast.