In between deliveries, we managed to catch him for a short interview about his job as driver at Papier Present. Meet & Greet the man behind the wheel…
Hi Gunther! How long have you been working at Papier Present?
"I’ve been working here for six years now! After my studies, I started working at another company as an accounting assistant. Then I worked briefly as a warehouse worker, and now I’ve been with Papier Present for several years."
"I quickly realized that sitting behind a computer all day wasn’t my thing."
From accounting to driver, explain!
"I studied business, so a job in accounting seemed like an obvious choice. But I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me to sit behind a computer all day. After that, I worked as a warehouse worker in Lokeren, but that company moved to Genk. Too far for me! So, I looked for a job closer to home.
When I saw the vacancy at Papier Present, I immediately took my chance. And voila! I haven't regretted it for a minute. I work with great colleagues, and Papier Present is a cool company with cool people."
What does a workday at Papier Present look like?
"In the morning, I arrive by bike. At 8:30, I load my van with a colleague for about half an hour, always in the order of my route. Then I drive from client to client, usually 200 to 300 kilometers a day. From De Panne to Arlon, Maastricht, or Eindhoven...
I deliver to about six to seven clients a day and drive all over the country. So there's a lot of variety!"
"Often I get offered a coffee, but I try to keep moving. I have a tight schedule, after all!"
Are there certain clients you’ve been visiting from the start or who you personally know?
Actually, I have a good relationship with practically all of our clients because I deliver to them several times a year.
I’m often offered a coffee, but I try to keep going. I’ve got a tight schedule!
I imagine it can sometimes be difficult to park and deliver in Car-Free streets?
"That’s actually not so bad. Deliveries in pedestrian streets are at the top of my schedule: in the mornings, you’re usually allowed to drive there until 11 a.m. There are some clients that are harder to reach, like in Maastricht, for example. They have these posts that pop up out of the ground, which forces me to park my van 500 meters from the store. If I have to go back and forth ten times, that can easily take an hour and a half. But that’s part of the job."
So, you know the smallest streets?
"Yes, I definitely know my way around. I have kind of an in-built GPS in my head. Yeah, that’s pretty cool!"
Do you have any anecdotes? A wrong delivery, extreme weather conditions, Etc.?
"As a driver, you see a lot of strange things. For example, there’s a street in Brussels with three lanes, and the third lane suddenly changes into a parking lane after a few hours. Things like that happen to me every day, especially in big cities.
Also, when it snows, you experience a lot! I once spent two hours covering 300 meters on a steep cobblestone road in Ukkel. There was a thick layer of snow, and the cobblestones were very slippery. It was sliding from one side to the other, going up and down... But eventually, I made it!
You’re on the road a lot. Hopefully, you haven’t had too many fines or small accidents?
"Well, yeah, I drive 50.000 to 60.000 kilometers a year, and it does happen that a fine arrives in the mail or a small scratch appears here and there. But fortunately, it’s all manageable."
"In my free time, I spend a lot of time outdoors: running, hiking, cycling, ... I exercise a lot, which makes it easier for me to help customers carry heavy boxes."
What do you like most about your job?
"I love being outside all day, on the road. I drive about four hours a day, and the other four hours I spend loading and unloading. On days like today, when the sun is shining, it’s great! In my free time, I’m also outdoors a lot: running, walking, cycling... I do a lot of sports, and that makes it easier to help customers with heavy boxes."
That's why you’re so well-liked. Customers often email to say how happy they are with your service!
"I enjoy helping the customers. When I deliver 20-kilo boxes, I’m happy to say, 'Come on, I’ll take that heavy box upstairs for you.' And they really appreciate that!"
"Before I leave for work, I take my dog Basco for a walk and go for a run for an hour."
So, a driver in good shape!
Before I head to work, I take my dog, Basco, for a walk and then go for an hour-long run. After that, I cycle to Papier Present in Merchtem. In the morning, that’s seven kilometers, and in the evening, I like to take a slightly longer route.
Even when I go on vacation, it has to be adventurous! I have an old Volkswagen van, and when we travel, it becomes our camping van. Two years ago, I traveled with my girlfriend and dog Basco through Sweden, from one lake to another. You can camp freely there. It was awesome!
You clearly found your dream job, being outdoors and behind the wheel, both at aork and on vacation!
Thanks for the interview, Gunther!