Nederlands
English
Always on the road
“If I hadn’t wanted to do it, I wouldn’t have,” says Klaas Bakker about his almost natural entry into the family business in 1984. “I mainly saw it as an opportunity. I’m a practical person, a hard worker. It’s wonderful to be able to continue your family business.” What once started with a horse-drawn barge grew into Bakker Transport Giethoorn, providing transport and storage solutions for national and international customers. This year also marks 50 years as Kornelis’ dedicated transport partner.
Day and night
“I was never much of an academic. That’s why I’ve been behind the wheel of a truck since I was eighteen. I love being out on the road. Of course, running a business involves much more than that: managing staff, accounting, planning, maintenance, and, of course, staying in touch with customers. Fortunately, I run the company together with my brother. My son Rick has also been driving since 2019, and my wife regularly helps out with the administration. A true family business. We don’t know the typical nine-to-five working day. Having dinner together in the evening isn’t something we often manage either. A transport company is a 24/7 commitment.”
Different
“Over the years, a lot has changed in my profession. I still find that difficult to get used to. Regulations have become much stricter, and the work ethic has changed. In the past, everything was more flexible and easier. I didn’t have to take breaks at set times, and I could schedule employees more freely. Fortunately, some things have become easier as well. With the arrival of the mobile phone, I’m always reachable. I can make calls while on the road and use my breaks to send messages or respond to emails. As a result, many things simply keep moving.”
"Our trucks over the years beautifully reflect the developments and growth of Kornelis”
Transport partner in style
“Fortunately, some things remain familiar. Like our partnership with Kornelis. They are reliable, and everything is open for discussion. We know exactly what we can expect from each other. When something needs to be arranged quickly, we make it happen.
The collaboration originally started through a friend of my father. He stopped his forwarding business, as it was called at the time, and was looking for a transport company to take over his customers. My father had a company and a truck and thought: why not?
Since then, we have been Kornelis’ dedicated transport partner. Every day, two to three trucks are on the road for Kornelis. Naturally, they are fully branded in style — that is part of being a dedicated transport partner. The designs on our trucks over the years beautifully show the developments and growth of Kornelis. It shows that together, you are building something meaningful.”
From fathers to sons
Bakker Transport Giethoorn was founded in 1912 by Geert Bakker. The first transport services were carried out using a horse-drawn barge from Giethoorn to Steenwijk. Later came horse-drawn carts and, at its peak, a fleet of eight trucks. Over the years, the company has been passed down from father to son. Today, five trucks are on the road, and the family business is in the hands of the fourth generation: twin brothers Klaas and Hilbert. The future? It belongs to the next generation.