Co-driver at Zegwaard

Zegwaard is a jack of all trades. Sewer management, sweeping services, container rental, and more. Zegwaard has also had an employee from Werkse! At work on one of the suction trucks. To mutual satisfaction and enjoyment.

Gino van Pieterson used to work for a waste collection company. For the past nine months, he's been a co-driver at Zegwaard. Along with his regular driver, Gino drives to restaurants, butcher shops, and bakeries to empty the mandatory grease traps. Emptying these traps prevents grease and other harmful substances from entering the sewer system and potentially causing blockages. "Rolling out 100 meters of hose from car to trap together is quite a feat. But you get used to it," he says with a radiant smile.

Vacuum truck
Zegwaard, with several locations across the country, employs around 120 people. Johan Plooij, HR manager and job coach at the company, explains: "If you recognize someone's talents and know what they're good at, you can place them in the optimal position. That way, they can perform at their best." Eight out of ten vehicles also have a co-driver. Like Gino, who sits with his buddy on the suction truck, known as a 'vacuum truck' in company jargon. Many young people quickly tire of this profession because it's fairly repetitive. It does require responsibility, but the driver has the ultimate responsibility. For someone like Gino, who is somewhat distanced from the job market, this is perfect and enjoyable work. Gino: "We drive through Amsterdam, then to Zeeland; basically, throughout the Netherlands. I have great colleagues. I have work, we have plenty of freedom, and I spend a lot of time outdoors."

24/7
Johan: “There's no training for the work our employees do. We often get 'diamonds in the rough'. We provide extensive training and education at our own location. We have examples of grease traps and PVC pipes and socks of all shapes and sizes available as examples in our classrooms. We train in areas like safety and VCA (Health, Safety and Health Checklist Contractors). No day is boring here, also because we often have to respond to emergencies. We're a 24/7 company. 'Do you have a blockage? Zegwaard will solve it for you.' We have a car wash, a gas station, and mechanics for our equipment. A truck that's out of service is a major expense; we can respond more quickly in-house. This way, we handle 99,9% of the maintenance ourselves.”

Accessible
Johan: "I'd venture to say we're an accessible organization. Informal and results-oriented. Zegwaard takes good care of its staff. There's a 24/7 professional gym, car rentals, Friday afternoon drinks, and the occasional barbecue, and the staff bar opens monthly. And we can always use staff!"