Tijs van Driel, COO at Red je Pakketje, has been named Young Logistics Talent of 2018. The jury praised him for 'seeing potential in a niche market, and constant focus on growth and innovation'.
"I am very happy," the winner responded soberly after receiving his award. Van Driel leaves nominees Lennart Stachowitz and Jeroen Provoost behind.
Van Driel is co-owner and chief operating officer at same-day delivery carrier Save Your Parcel. The company picks up orders from online stores until 14:30 and delivers them to consumers' homes in the evening. There is a maximum of ten hours between pick-up and delivery time. Consumers receive a half-hour time slot and can change the delivery address at any time.
That this is in high demand is evidenced by the exponential growth Red je Pakketje has experienced, with the carrier growing to a company with 110 buses, more than 230 drivers and clients such as Greetz, BVA and Cameranu in a year and a half. Last year, the company recorded 750 per cent volume growth. It no longer operates from a single location, but from seven hubs spread across the country.
It is up to Van Driel to manage that growth. He is responsible for drivers and hub managers as well as planning, customer service, and fleet management. Earlier today, Van Driel revealed that this growth is the biggest challenge for him. "Because of the huge growth, we suddenly needed a lot of drivers. They had to be trained in a short time, which was tough. Once that was up and running, the local hubs arrived and the processes had to be set up for them. That's all incredibly fun, but also exciting."
