Following an earlier visit by Prime Minister Rutte, Queen Maxima also gave transport entrepreneurs a shot in the arm on Tuesday. During a guided tour, the Queen, accompanied by TLN president Elisabeth Post, interacted with employees of transport company Pieter Smit in Nieuw Vennep.
Pieter Smit is market leader of event transport in the Netherlands and heavily affected by the corona crisis. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the company saw its total turnover fall by as much as 83 per cent. Of the approximately 350 tractors they have, about 300 are now on the sidelines. Post said he was happy with the moral support from the King's House. "We are honoured that the Queen is here today. Her presence is supportive for the entrepreneurs here, but also for our industry as a whole."
Read also: Prime Minister Rutte visits corona-affected transport entrepreneurs
Financial implications
Transport company Pieter Smit is not the only one to suffer major financial consequences. A TLN survey of its members shows that almost all transport companies surveyed are facing a loss of turnover. On average, this is over 32 per cent compared to the same period last year. In some subsectors, however, the decline is much greater, up to more than 90 per cent among ornamental plant and car transporters. In container transport, the decline is around 75 per cent, while construction transporters, courier services and moving services, for example, saw around 60 per cent of their turnover decline. Almost a quarter of companies say they have been forced to say goodbye to employees as a result of the crisis.
Mobility centre
In addition to the availability of a government support package, the transport and logistics sector is working on practical solutions to support companies and help employees stay in work. For example, a mobility centre has been set up to match transport companies with overcapacity with hauliers who are actually short of drivers or trucks.
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