Nicolai Slagter (36) from Emmen is the owner of SG Transport, which operates a fleet of 16 lorries (seven refrigerated and nine curtain-sided) transporting goods for NVO to Scandinavia. He had originally planned to become a firefighter, but they didn’t want him. “They said anyone can become a lorry driver, so that’s what I went and did!”

After driving all sorts of things around, Nicolai wanted to set up his own business. Together with his business partner at the time, he started SG Transport. NVO turned out to be the biggest client. “We were soon asked if we could also drive refrigerated lorries. We rounded up some old colleagues to make this possible, and that’s how we kept growing.”

Driving for NVO gave Nicolai the chance to expand his haulage business, whilst also enjoying the odd day off. “NVO schedules the lorries and handles all the invoicing. I don’t have to worry about invoices. I do have to check that all journeys are invoiced, but I’ve got my own system for that.”

Scandinavia, however, is something Nicolai is less keen on. “I can’t stand the cold!” So he’d much rather spend a day pre-loading in the Netherlands. However, having a lorry sitting idle at home due to illness or holidays isn’t an option, so he has no choice but to go. “I’ve driven to Lillehammer (Norway) a few times; snow, high mountains… not for me! It’s very beautiful there in the summer, though. Many drivers actually love it. I often get photos sent to me of lovely spots and animals along the road.”

With a new addition to the family on the way (alongside his girlfriend, two stepchildren and a dog), Nicolai is pleased that he can sort out many matters over the phone in his own time. “I like having control over my own time. Taking time off and working whenever I want. The fact that NVO takes some of the work off our hands makes running a business enjoyable again. It gives us a bit of free time in return. It means we can still help out a driver who wants a day off.” So he’s become a bit of a firefighter after all!