Sibbele Oegema
Owner of Oegema Transport in Dedemsvaart
“I like to take one of the trucks out for a spin every once in a while, which is exactly what I did a couple of days ago,” says Sibbele Oegema, owner of Oegema Transport in Dedemsvaart.
“This time I hit the road in a fully restored DAF XF, one with an amazing 1.7 million kilometres on the clock. The XF has been perfectly restored, shifts gear and operates very smoothly and should easily cover another million kilometres without any trouble,” says Sibbele. Below is a report written by managing director Sibbele Oegema about his day behind the wheel of a restored DAF XF in the Netherlands.
“It was a normal Friday, just like every other one. Up at 5.15 a.m., pull on my running gear, a quick cup of coffee and out the door at 5.30 to run my usual route around Dedemsvaart. Then I hit the shower, pack my lunch and am in the office just before 7 a.m. The transport manager tells me it’s going to be a busy day.
DAF 'youngtimer' from 2008
With the aim of checking the quality of our service, I decide to take the last drive of the day. I can choose between the DAF 3600 and a DAF ‘youngtimer’ from 2008. I opt for the latter because it has just been restored and I want to try it out for myself. The XF looks fabulous. Everything is working perfectly and the parts all are either original or have been restored to their original state.”
First stop
“I leave at 11.15 with a fully loaded trailer and deliveries for a total of 7 different destinations. The pressure is on. My first stop is a carpet factory in Genemuiden. After a short wait at dispatching, I am given the all clear to unload. Luckily there is no one ahead of me and after 15 minutes I am on my way to Elspeet, where I have to deliver to two addresses next to each other. Half an hour and 6 pallets later, I am heading for Apeldoorn, which I reach via a scenic route that takes me past the town of Uddel and fabulous fields of heather. Despite my busy schedule, I stop for a minute along the way to take a photo of the XF. The 2 minutes this takes shouldn’t be a problem, I hope.
Shortest route
As I drive through the centre of Apeldoorn, I suddenly find myself wondering if my navigation has sent me on the shortest route instead of the quickest one. The delivery in Apeldoorn doesn’t go according to plan because I can’t find the address and nobody seems to have heard of the company in question. I eventually find myself stuck at the end of a cul de sac with a forty-foot trailer. The important thing now is to get the truck out of here in one piece, because if the ‘boss’ ends up taking a lump out of the pavement or knocking over a lamppost they will know all about it back in Dedemsvaart in the blink of an eye. And I will have to listen to the story for the next ten years. In the end I manage to escape unharmed and head for my next stop in Lierden.
Stop number 5
A Telecom firm in Lierden. I have to call ahead first because I am not going to make it there on schedule. “No problem, we don’t mind waiting” is the reply and I continue on my way to Lierden, where the unloading is done in a jiffy because the staff are anxious to close up for the weekend. My next port of call is at a contractor in Wehl and I get there just before 5 p.m. The unloading doesn’t go as smoothly here because I don’t have a forklift on board. Thankfully, one of the staff lends me a hand, otherwise I would have spent 45 minutes unloading everything.
Only one more stop to make!
This one is a private address, so I don’t have to worry about being on time. Unfortunately it turns out to be a delivery to three separate addresses all next to each other, and none of them had been expecting the load of pellets they ordered for their stove to be so large. I ended up having to manoeuvre three 1,500 kg loads on a pallet truck over loose paving and the third customer even wanted me to transfer his pallet to a trailer. I told him that would not be possible, thanked him and wished him a pleasant weekend, and then set off for Dedemsvaart again. It is 8 p.m. by the time me and my wonderful XF drive in through the gates. And, fortunately, without even the slightest scratch. The trailer is empty and everything has been problem-free. At the planning department they tell me they might even let me out on the road again some time, which I take as a major compliment.”
Sibbele Oegema,
Owner of Oegema Transport in Dedemsvaart.
