Doing a good job, day in, day out
Every day in René Lausten’s working life is different from the one before. As an independent subcontractor in Denmark, he has 18 drivers in 14 trucks on the road every day— and one of his clients is DACHSER. This year, his company is celebrating its 33rd anniversary and its long collaboration with the logistics provider.
Haulier René Lausten has been collaborating with DACHSER Denmark A/S for 32 years. “When you’ve been working together for so many years, it’s surely a sign that you’re doing a good job,” he says with a wink.
Ten months after founding his company, RL Transport, he received a call from a colleague explaining that one of the latter’s customers, A/S Ove Haugsted, needed additional vehicles. Could Lausten help? He agreed and took on the routes. He got along well with the forwarding manager at Haugsted right from the start, which led to other contracts. Thus began the longtime collaboration between Lausten and A/S Ove Haugsted, which was later acquired by DACHSER.
The latest technology is the best advertisement
Today, Lausten employs 18 drivers for a fleet of 14 trucks. Eight of the trucks run for DACHSER and bear the familiar yellow and blue colors. All the trucks in Lausten’s fleet comply with the Euro 5 or 6 standard, as many European cities have strict regulations for limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Copenhagen, for example, has banned vehicles that do not meet at least Euro 3, and many cities in Germany require vehicles to meet Euro 5.
And of course, it’s fun to drive new vehicles. “Every driver is happy to get a new truck, and new trucks just look better out on the road. This can also help attract new drivers and make the profession more attractive,” Lausten says proudly.
Lausten doubts that he could describe a typical working day. Maybe the atypical is typical, because being self-employed is full of surprises. “It’s a job like any other, but every morning when I start, I have no idea what the day will bring,” he says. “Sometimes, when a driver is sick or can’t come in for some reason, I have to drive one of the trucks myself. I usually get behind the wheel three or four days a week.”
As a result, Lausten has traveled far and wide and has been to many DACHSER branches. For example, he was able to jump in at the last minute when DACHSER Hvidovre needed another line-haul to Stockholm. “Over time, I have driven routes for many different DACHSER branches, because we try to help wherever we can,” he says. Even if no day is like the one before, there is always one constant: the drive to do a good job.
