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The GTV BUS is the perfect partner for the Netherlands

by Bez kategorii

In the Netherlands, there are no such transport services as offered by our transport company. This enables us to be unrivalled on the Dutch market, which motivates us to constantly develop. Our solutions and what we have to offer make that GTV Bus has become the perfect partner for the Netherlands.

Types of transport services offered by GTV Bus

We offer three types of transport services:

  • firstly – we rent coaches directly to the agency which takes care of the rest and plans the routes itself,
  • secondly – we rent minibuses along with drivers, also for other agency services,
  • thirdly – we watch over the entire logistics and organisation of transport – we build transport planning, we look after this transport, we manage our drivers and we prepare cost optimisation for the agency.

In order for a trip to be profitable, the bus must be full, it cannot be used by one or two people. It happens that we have to rearrange some planning activities of the agency, because, for example, they are not cost-effective for it. We then point out what mistakes were made in the planning. We collect employees of a given agency from various locations and transport them to the company to optimize travel costs as much as possible. It is fair to say that we sell such an employment agency a combined service since our offer does not end with transporting an employee from Poland to the Netherlands and back, but we are also available for this employee there, and we can transport him/her to work in a given country.

Why is GTV Bus the ideal partner for the Netherlands?

Thanks to the activities of our company the employment agency practically does not have to deal with anything related to transport. Issues such as driver problems and fines, for example, are within our remit. They also do not care about any issues with the minibus, and if anything happens, we remain accountable for any occurrences. We solve all unexpected situations, including a possible breakdown of the minibus. In such a case, we replace it with a new one and the transport can continue. We strive to do it quickly and efficiently. We are flexible and do everything to make job agents happy; we do not want them to waste time waiting for drop-off and pick-up from work. Thanks to all these measures, we can be very competitive, and employment agencies are willing to cooperate with us.

One of the biggest quandaries of every employment agency is the fact that there are no drivers as the employees they hire simply do not want to drive minibuses or company cars. They do not always have a driving license, and apart from that, they are afraid of fines, which are very high in the Netherlands.

Before establishing cooperation, we always indicate that it is the agency that decides what will be our responsibilities. Agencies send us their transport plan with information on how many people, where and from where commute, and we develop specific routes, taking into account the number of minibuses that we will need for such a task. Sometimes we only use the minibuses, but at times the best option turns out to be the coach. The employment agency receives a cost estimate from us and based on this it decides which solution to choose. It should be borne in mind that if the third option is chosen, we are responsible for practically everything related to the transport of employees, including administration.

Forecasts for the next months in Poland and the Netherlands

The so-called ‘high season’, which begins in the autumn months, is ahead of us. From late October to January in the Netherlands there is a double or even triple need for staff. This is the time when on-line sales are at their peak, as Christmas gifts, among other things, are ordered. It all lasts about 10 weeks. There are two high seasons in the Netherlands. The first is this summer season when most job offers concern greenhouses (work with flowers and tomatoes). The second is the one related to sale and holiday. In fact, a quieter time in transport for us was always in February and March, but this year the trend reversed and in February all locations were full.

Based on the latest predictions of economists, it can be concluded that the economy will slow down a little in the near future, but this does not affect the sales-related segment that much. Currently, we still have the topic of inflation galloping at a crazy pace in the back of our minds, but it may turn out that despite this, consumption will still be as high as in previous years. If we were to anticipate any problems that may arise in the near future as a result of this economic slowdown, they may concern more reduced number of jobs abroad than those willing to leave. Such a situation may take place, nevertheless if you look closer at the pandemic and people’s behaviours during it, they were not as expected. Hence, making dark predictions for the future is pointless, because people can behave completely opposite to what we assumed.

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What is the market for drivers in Europe?

by Bez kategorii

There is no denying that the transport industry has significantly developed in recent years. More and more companies appear that decide to transport people, thus forcing the competition to improve both the customer service process and the work of drivers responsible for passenger transport. So what does the market for drivers in Europe look like these days?

Driver market – what do transport companies have to face?

Mobility package – what is it about and what are its outcomes?

At the beginning of the year, transport companies had to face the so-called mobility package. By this concept we mean a set of rules that are designed to regulate road transport throughout the European Union. These regulations have been implemented for several years, but the biggest changes came into force in February 2022. They concern the rules for posting drivers, as well as their remuneration, rights and obligations. The changes that have appeared concern, for example, the taxation of driver allowances. To be clear – the cost of an employee has rocketed upwards by a third, with not much time between the announcement of these changes and their implementation, and employers of transport companies have been put in a difficult position. To illustrate this well, it must be mentioned that the cost of an employee is about 10% of the cost of travel, and thus each freight should go up by around 3 to 3.5%. However, it is one thing to raise the price for a journey for an individual customer, and quite another to negotiate contracts signed with large companies for the transport of their employees, in which the price is clearly defined for the duration of the contract. Such contracts are sometimes signed for the duration of several years. The clients are large corporations and there the price change from day to day is not an option. It has to be emphasised that the mobility package has existed for two years, but the regulations it contains are being updated, so the changes enter into force gradually. At this point our company is already prepared for them, and we legalize each degree on an ongoing basis, nevertheless, we still struggle with some difficulties that these changes entail. Fortunately, those that we still need to implement should not pose a problem for us to implement, and we are doing it quite quickly and efficiently.

Increase in costs – what impact does it have on the transport market?

Regrettably, there are variables that are harder to predict, such as fuel prices. And, while we are not scared of these increases, the volatility of these prices in a relatively short time can be an issue. It happened that within a few days it changed by thirty, forty and even fifty groszes, which has a real impact on the cost of passenger transport. If customers pay a certain rate for transport, and in the meantime the price of fuel changes so dynamically, then it generates significant losses for the company. At the moment, our price list is quite stable, but in the period of rapid fuel increases, also the prices we proposed had to be updated on an ongoing basis. A positive thing is that we are not affected by the tax change, yet, for example, it will be noticeable by individual drivers. In our case, VAT is not a problem, but the fluctuation of fuel prices is. Fortunately, we managed to handle the pricing policy in such a manner that the cost of our transport services was not too high, but at the same time compensated us for the increase in fuel prices. Yet, there are expenditures that most of our passengers are not aware of, although we also try to talk about it. We mean, e.g., the price of tyres, which has gone up twice, or the increase in the cost of car parts by as much as 40, or even 50%. One usually only notices the changes in the price of fuel, but no one asks about the cost of repairing a car at a mechanic shop (on condition that there is a mechanic at all, as there is currently a problem on the market with the availability of reliable car mechanics). These are the so-called hidden costs which burden the company, but which hardly anyone thinks about.

Driver market in Europe

A serious predicament facing the transport industry at the moment is the shortage of drivers. As a company, we have completely changed our recruitment system. We had to learn from the previous process of hiring drivers and pay attention to how the new person was introduced to the work environment. Unfortunately, the increasingly poor quality of the delegated employee forced us to change our employment strategy. At present, during the recruitment process, we take into account more behavioural patterns. This means that we verify how a potential employee behaves in a given situation. We insist that s/he should have soft skills, i.e. competencies that are revealed in the employee’s behaviour, and how s/he performs his or her duties, and we will introduce and train such a person within the company. We cannot judge candidates only on the basis of submitted documents. These are skills of a personal and interpersonal nature that are vital in the profession of a driver. The job is not easy, so for us it is more important that the candidates are mentally fit for it, and we will take care of their training. Of course, this is another cost for us and we take it into account, but it is essential for us that the drivers are well trained, and that is what we are focusing on at the moment.

We care about our drivers

If one were to rely on figures, there is a shortage of around 500 000 drivers in the entire Europe, while in Poland alone the figure reaches 120 000. We are in a slightly different situation as most of the transport services are provided by minibus, and, in this case, only a B-category driving licence is needed. As a result, we do not have this problem as much, and we also take care of our drivers financially, as evidenced by the fact that many of them have been working with us for a long time. However, we are still recruiting new staff, because the shortage of drivers unfortunately bothers us too. We also offer attractive European rates for them, which distinguishes us from other transport companies. In addition to this, we are also planning to introduce a benefit program for our employees, and if B-category driver has been with us for more than two years s/he can apply for a subsidy when s/he decides to upgrade his/her qualifications and pass D-category test. We have already implemented this program.

The issue with the availability of cars and its impact on the transport industry

When talking about the problems that transport companies are currently facing, we should also pay attention to car availability. We were affected by the hindrance for the first time two years ago, when it turned out that in order to receive the car that we wanted, we had to wait a year for it. Essentially, we had to determine the demand one year in advance, which is not easy to do, considering the fact that we were still dealing with the effects of the pandemic and no one was able to predict what would happen in the coming months. This is quite a logistical problem for us to solve, because we have to budget a given number of cars much earlier, not knowing what the coming year would be like. As a company, we do not order a few, but, e.g., 100 cars in one go. We face this problem as a large transport company, nonetheless it is important to remember that smaller companies face it, too. After all, anticipating an entire year ahead is a challenge and a high risk that the demand may turn out to be lower, or vice versa – much higher, than we expected. Now, when we enter one season, we already have to foresee the next one.

Transport market – summary

Summing up the issue of the difficulties that we face as a transport company, it is the rising costs on all sides that are one of the key problems. There is no need to dwell on this topic, because as we all know very well, price increases are currently affecting us on many levels. Yet, this is not the only and most important area that challenges us, but it motivates us to continue working hard.

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GTV BUS as the ideal partner for care agencies

by Bez kategorii

Our company currently supports over 300 care agencies, thus we are very familiar with the nature of their work. We organize daily departures and returns from Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands, which is not offered by any other transport company in Poland or Europe (when it comes to transporting carers). It is this option that makes GTV Bus the ideal business partner.

Why is it worth choosing GTV Bus as a partner for care agencies?

Apart from the fact that we offer passenger transport every day, we offer door to door services – i.e. transport of the customer from the given address to the destination. In this respect, we are unrivalled!

It is also worth mentioning about night shifts thanks to which we secure the needs of care agencies and solve problems on an ongoing basis, even at late hours. For example: a carer comes to work and no one opens the door for her – such situations have also happened. We are up to the task and, for instance, book a hotel for the passenger, if the company decides on such a solution. This lets the recruitment agent know that their employee is safe.  

We are also the perfect partner because, from the moment of making a reservation for transport, it is us who take care of everything – that is, in fact, the agency is only responsible for sending the reservation and that is where all its work ends. Moreover, if something happened on the way for reasons beyond our control, the recruiter from the agency, or e.g. the transport manager immediately receives an e-mail about the event and information on why and what steps we have taken to fix it.  

The most important thing about the GTV BUS is that we never say NO to care agencies. What do we mean by that? Often trips are needed from one place to another on the same today and, for example, in the morning we get a message from the company that on that day they need to send a carer to Germany or take someone from there. We then make every effort to fulfil such an order. We are the only company in Poland that provides such a service as ‘’today for tomorrow’ and ‘today for today’. Typically, carriers do not have space or do not offer transport on a given day.

GTV Bus – the secret of our success

For a long time, we relied mainly on the Dutch customer, while we treated Germany more as a form of travelling through this country. We took a pause at specific stops to drop off some passengers and kept going, as it was to the Netherlands that our regular routes were.  

During the pandemic, a lot of care agencies from all over Poland had a problem with getting their carers to work, because carriers cancelled their transport overnight. Then we also had to decide how to behave in this difficult situation. We made the decision that we do not cancel our trips, and in fact – at that time we did not cancel a single one. Thanks to this attitude, we started to gain new customers. During that period, we served about 100 care agencies, and after some time this base began to grow. In the beginning, new companies tested us because most of them were unfamiliar with our services (although we had been already over 25 years on the market). Yet, we were taking our first steps in the care industry, and we were treated as a novelty. Questions often occurred about where we came from and how it happened that we deal with such transport. We were aware that this is a demanding transport. But we took up the challenge and it worked out very well. Presently, GTV BUS serves over 300 care agencies. We have achieved our goal – to have as many of these agencies as possible. Since it is a huge market, this number is constantly growing. We have not had a downtime yet. Most importantly – many companies came to us directly, as often we have been recommended by other carers. Of course, we acquired some of the agencies personally through extensive marketing activities. It is safe to say that practically all companies that started cooperation with us are still with us today. If we were to sum up the answer to the question “why we are the ideal partner for care agencies” in one sentence, it could be said that because we are always there for them and we never say no. This is how our approach to cooperation with them can be summed up.

Booking panel – facilitation for partners

We always encourage new business customers to take advantage of a booking panel specially created for them. The crucial advantage of this solution is, of course, saving time, which a recruiter or company owner usually loses looking for a carrier. It happens very often that a care agency needs to transport its carer, e.g. the next day. It is practically impossible to book such a transport service with other transport companies.

At GTV Bus, when an agency gets access to the booking panel, does not have to send inquiries about the availability of seats. It only enters exact dates and is certain that the journey will take place. If there is a need to cancel any trip or change its date, it can also be done using the panel. Information about the change that has been made appears after 15 seconds. However, if a given agency does not use the panel, then the booking is made by sending an e-mail. It takes a bit more time, but it is handled as a priority. The panel is simply a place through which all operations can be performed. You do not have to wonder who and what to write to.

At GTV BUS, there is always some free space ‘for the next day’ for care agencies. In addition, such a reservation in our panel takes literally 2 minutes, and the problem of transport ceases to give you sleepless nights. This is one of our proprietary solutions that we have developed for care agencies. Using it has always been free for these companies who have become our clients. Over time, we decided to expand it and that is how the internal Intranet was created. You can find everything that makes the agency’s work easier, such as transport prices or contact information for individual GTV BUS departments. What is more, a second panel has also been launched via which you can keep track of the minibus route which the employee has taken. Thanks to this, the company can check exactly where the passenger is, whether s/he has boarded the minibus at all, and what time s/he will be at the place of destination. This option works based on similar principles as applications prepared for taxi drivers, such as Uber, or Bolt.  

We are already familiar with the specifics of employment agencies, and we know that, for example, companies from the Netherlands attach great importance to what time the employee will be at their place so that s/he can be picked up. We usually show up in the morning, which is very suitable for agents, because we directly arrive at the company, and leave its employees there. Owing to the fact that we come in morning hours, the agency also saves the working time of employees.  

To sum up – our booking panel’s major advantage is the fact that it saves time that employees of care agencies spend on finding transport for their employees. Because if you add up this time, it turns out that it can take them several hours.   

Our intention was so that a phrase like „problem with transport” to be completely removed from the care agency’s list of obstacles. At GTV, the company makes a reservation in the panel, and we take care of the rest.  The clients can be sure that their employees will be where they are supposed to be at the right time.

What is the carer market like in Poland?

There are ca. 350 legally registered care agencies in Poland. It is a huge market. It is estimated that about 400,000 carers leave to work every month. Some of them do it on their own, but the market is constantly changing and we know that the Germans strive to ensure that they are primarily employed by agencies. The data we have obtained show that currently the number of carers legally leaving through agencies is about 30,000. GTV BUS can transport approx. 8,000 carers per month. It is also important to bear in mind that some carers drive their cars – especially if they live close to the border.

Do we plan other destinations?

We are a company that is constantly developing. We currently go to Belgium, Holland, Austria and Germany, and the journeys take place daily. We also offer transport services to these countries from Romania, and every week from Latvia (from Riga to be exact). We plan to open up to more countries and we are still working on it. We pay taxes legally in every country that we travel to, and we start our adventure in a new country with obtaining permits. It is also worth mentioning that we were also to travel from Ukraine (Lviv to be more precise), but due to what happened in that country, it was not possible. But we offered transport right from the border. We also sent coaches pro bono to enable people get to larger cities.

How to distinguish a dishonest transport company from an honest one?

Most companies dealing with transport from Poland to the Netherlands originate from Poland. If an agency wants to distinguish between a legitimate and a dishonest company, it must first check whether the company is registered in the National Court Register. This can be verified by NIP (tax identification number) and REGON (business registry number). Besides, GTV BUS pays all taxes in every country to which it travels, and can issue an invoice to companies, as well as private customers, on which the Polish, German or Dutch section is provided. Before choosing a carrier, it is worth checking whether it pays taxes and is registered as a VAT payer in a given country, e.g. in Germany. 

What industries can we cooperate with?

Virtually any company can use our services that needs to transport an employee from point A to point B. Currently, we provide services for industrial enterprises; the segment of truck drivers, employment agencies from the Netherlands and Germany, but also seasonal work. We also cooperate with entrepreneurs dealing with holidays and sanatoriums, as well as companies that employ seafarers. We offer them transport to the places from which they are collected straight to the ship.