“My dream of becoming a truck driver came true”

Tomas started working as a mover in 2009 after completing VDAB’s Warehouse training program where he was first introduced to Gosselin. He was offered a contract for a permanent position one year later. Thirteen years later, he has made his dream of becoming a truck driver come true, thanks to the support of HR, and he’s now a team leader in the moving division.

Tomas began his career at Gosselin as a carrier and packer until his team was split up and he was appointed interim team leader. “However, to become a true team leader, I had to get my category B driver’s license first,” Tomas explains. “When I later told HR that I would also like to get my category C license, they asked me to first get a year of experience driving panel trucks. They contacted me after that to ask if I was still interested in becoming a truck driver.”

Dream come true

Tomas got his category C license via the Merkemse driving school, paid for by Gosselin, thus helping him make one of his childhood dreams come true. “My father was a truck driver and is my role model.” This December, Tomas will be taking it one step further and will try to get his category E driver’s license so that he can drive a truck with a trailer behind it. “I’m actually not a very big guy, so I compensate by driving huge trucks,” Tomas laughs.

Passion for the job

Tomas is incredibly grateful for the chance Gosselin gave him to take all these training courses. “My wife and three children come first, but Gosselin is my second life, and I really love my job as team leader in the moving division. We leave early, at quarter past six in the morning, and get home again at around five in the afternoon. The days are long, but the atmosphere among the colleagues is fantastic.”

Sadly enough, Tomas doesn’t see a lot of interest from the new generation in terms of going into the moving profession. “We movers are a dying breed, and that’s a shame since it’s such a fun and challenging job. I hope to be able to continue working at Gosselin until my retirement, and to help even more people on the brink of a new adventure by helping move their belongings safely from A to B.”

ABOUT GOSSELIN: 

Founded in 1930, Gosselin currently employs more than 800 people who generate total sales of over 300 million Euros. Gosselin’s headquarters is located on the Albert Canal in Deurne where the container terminal connects the Port of Antwerp Bruges and the Port of Rotterdam with the European hinterland. With 56 offices in 34 countries, the company has strong representation in Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and China. The Gosselin Group consists of two divisions: Gosselin Moving and Gosselin Logistics.  

Gosselin Moving handles international moves for multinationals, expats, diplomats, military personnel and private individuals.  

Gosselin Logistics provides logistics services to businesses, with activities ranging from forwarding, warehouse storage and container processing to industrial logistics projects for heavy machinery and entire factories.