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Today’s the day. After over 20 years of working at Kuipers, Andre is officially retiring. A warehouse worker who started out as a truck driver, he always kept up his licenses so he could still hop behind the wheel when needed.
Fittingly, he’s wrapping up his career with one final ride
A month ago, we sat down with him to talk about his time at Kuipers and his upcoming retirement. What did he do all those years? How did he like it? And why is he leaving now? We covered it all.
How did you start at Kuipers?
That was quite a while ago. I was coming off the truck. I’d worked at West Cargo, but they went bankrupt. After that, I worked in Germany for a bit. But I wanted to get off the road. Then I got the chance to start here in the warehouse, with the option to drive a bit when time allowed.
I kept everything up to date. My license, ADR, all of it—so I could still drive. But mostly I worked in the warehouse six days a week. Sunday through Friday. Only Saturdays off.
Has the job changed much over the years?
Oh, a lot has changed. In the beginning, it was just “load it and go.” But over time, more and more rules came in. Like with anti-slip mats. Now they’re completely obsessed with ratchet straps, and they check the weight like crazy. If the load’s even slightly too heavy in the front, they’re all over it. That never used to happen.
It’s manageable, but nowadays Switzerland is the worst. It’s a nightmare there, really.
Now it’s all about thinking, planning, calculating, coordinating with the planning. Making sure you know if a customer unloads from the side, if the weight distribution checks out. Sometimes you’ve got to shuffle things around in the trailer to make it work. It’s a lot of hassle. Especially on Fridays.
Fridays are always hectic. Everything has to go out on time, the trailers need to hit the road on schedule. There’s definitely some pressure. I push the guys a little when needed. The new ones tend to take their time, but we need to avoid damage too. If that means slowing down, then so be it. The speed will come later.
Loading trailers right, without damage, that’s the most important thing.
What do you enjoy most about the job?
I’ve seen so many people come and go. And honestly, I like everything about the work. Just loading trailers, or driving a bit. As long as I’m busy.
I always appreciate it when the drivers help out and think things through with you. They’re the ones who have to drive with it, after all. I always say that.
And in 21 years, other than the full loads, no two trailers have ever been the same. Only full trailers are predictable. Everything else is different. It’s all about calculating. That’s what makes it challenging. Getting everything to fit just right—that’s what I love about it.
I’ve worked here with a lot of joy. And everything’s always been possible, everything’s negotiable. If you discuss it first, it all works out here.
And we’ve had a lot of laughs with the guys too. A good joke now and then—it keeps the atmosphere light. A bit of joking around keeps the stress away. I think that’s important. Always being serious? That’s not healthy.
Here, when someone messes up, we joke that they owe a meatball. I had to bring meatballs once too—my car broke down and I left the guys hanging. So fine, I brought meatballs! We go to Avia on Sundays after work. You have to call ahead though. Otherwise, they might not have enough.
That’s just standard for us in the warehouse. Bit of messing around. Then someone yells, “Meatbaaaaalls!” or “I smell gravy!”
The only thing I really hate is waiting.
If I have to wait an hour in the evening for a truck that’s getting back at 8 or 8:15, and I’m already done by 7:30—that’s annoying. Especially when that load still has to go out for next-day delivery. I’d rather be doing something. I’ll go clean up or organize. Just get it done. Makes the time go by faster. If you’re sitting still, time drags.
And a clean warehouse gives you peace of mind. If everything’s put away properly, it’s easier to find later. Back when we had all the racking inside, I put up signs everywhere so I knew where everything went. It makes it easy to find things.
It’s usually Milan and Turin going together, Verona and nearby areas heading toward Venice and Udine. That all gets loaded together. And the south—we keep that grouped too. No sense in pulling everything from all over. That just slows things down.
Or you reload straight from one trailer into another. That’s even faster. Then you only handle it once. Otherwise, you’re double-handling everything. If you’re putting it in the warehouse, you might as well put it straight into the truck. You can save half an hour with a full load.
So, why are you moving to Spain?
Because of my shoulder. I’ve had two surgeries already, and the left one’s starting to give me trouble too. I just can’t do it anymore. So we started crunching the numbers last year, and early retirement turned out to be doable.
Heading to the warm south—was that a conscious choice?
Yeah, definitely. The warmth is better for the muscles and joints. We could’ve moved to Sweden or Norway. Also great places to live. I used to drive to Sweden for years. But it’s freezing there. Though it’s a different kind of cold. When it’s this weather (around freezing)in Sweden, you’re fine in a sweater. Here, you need a hat and gloves. In Stockholm, I’d be out walking around in a sweater in -10°C. Totally different kind of cold.
Spain’s the same way, in a way. I used to be in southern Spain a lot, near Valencia, working with P&O Ferrymasters. The heat there is different. When it’s 30°C there or 30°C here—it’s night and day. Over there it’s dry, here it’s humid and muggy. That dry heat is way better. And that’s what we need now.
What’s the first thing you’ll do in Spain?
Once everything’s sorted and unpacked, I think I’ll just go fishing. There’s a big reservoir nearby. Not many rivers, and the ones that are there barely have any water. They have no fish in them. But the area’s nice and green, which is a plus.
Oh, and I have to prune the olive trees. I’ve already started reading up online. There aren’t any Dutch books about olive tree care, but I found one in English I could order. No problem. My wife lived in Australia for years. She speaks fluent English. I speak fluent German, she speaks fluent English. I get by in English too, but I’m stronger in German and she’s better in English.
And then—just chill in the sun. Grill some food. Relax, do nothing, read a book.
Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out.
Oh, yeah. It’s already 16°C in the shade there. In the sun it’s over 20. Here? Feels like zero. I was just outside moving trailers around—I’m putting my hat on, seriously!
Well, time to get to Spain then!
Andre, thanks so much for your years of hard work. We’ll miss you, but more than anything, we wish you a wonderful time in Spain!
