Westdijk Sweden AB, Gothenburg, Sweden

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Interview with

Mr. Roger Arvidsson
Managing Director

First of all, could you tell our readers about the history and current ownership of Westdijk? Why the name Westdijk?

That’s a Netherlands family name [last name]. The name of the guy who started this firm many years ago was Nico Westdijk, but it’s owner today is Tom Sijpkes. It is he who has made the Westdijk Group what it is today, with branch offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Poland. Each of these are independent, juridical companies owned by Tom Sijpkes, and there is a managing direction in each country.

Am I correct in my understanding that you are specialised in moving oversized cargo around Scandinavia and other European countries by truck (mainly)?

Correct. We only work with Oversize and Heavy cargo on road transport all over Europe.

I heard from others in the market that EU policies concerning regulations and rules are messy in some countries. While in some countries it can take weeks for a permit, in others, it’s more efficient. Tell our readers about the current situation in the EU & Scandinavia regarding this, and if you’ve got some good rules of thumb for any potential customer.

There is a big difference in permit time for different countries around Europe. Sweden is one of the easiest, roughly 1-3 days. In Germany, it takes 2-3 weeks. Italy usually has processing times of 5-6 weeks. The more southern the country is in Europe, the longer it takes.

In order to provide a quick quotation what do you need from a potential customer? Do you always need a drawing for example?

It is always good to have a drawing at the start. Then, we are sure we are basing the offer on the correct equipment. We must have all dimensions, the weight, and the center of gravity.

Can you elaborate on the equipment that you have or have access to?

The Westdijk Group has all types of trailer equipment that are available on the market. We then choose the best type for each job.

Could you provide our readers with a few examples of noticeable projects that you have carried?

All overdimensioned/heavy colli items are a project for us, and we do several each day soo…. There can be one load in a project, or it can be 50 loads.

About yourself, Roger, how and when did you get into the shipping and transportation business?

I started in my father’s company back in 1980. The company had its own excavators and trailers to move them. In 1988, it was split into two companies with the excavators in one and the transport equipment in the other.

I became the owner of the transport company. This company mainly operates in the Scandinavian Countries. I sold it in 2002. While I owned the company, we had cooperated with Westdijk on transports out in Europe, so after I sold the company, I was asked by Westdijk to open a branch office in Sweden. I did this in 2005.