Across Europe at the heart of society

Transport Veynat: Across Europe at the heart of society

A well-maintained truck uses less fuel, therefore the cost per kilometre is lower. This can add up to significant savings. If you have an extensive fleet like Transport Veynat, it doesn’t take long to do the sums. Pierre-Olivier Veynat, Chairman of the Executive Board at Transport Veynat, talks us through the past, present and future of a business that is careful with its capital.

Preventive maintenance adds value

The French transport company has its own maintenance workshop with skilled technicians, so much of the periodic maintenance—such as replacing brake systems or gearbox maintenance—is handled in-house. When it comes to complex repairs or maintaining advanced systems that help to maximise truck efficiency, however, the company relies on its DAF Dealer. As Pierre-Olivier explains, “We have operated a customised maintenance programme for more than ten years now and our Fleet Manager optimises it on an ongoing basis. We have several different truck brands in our fleet, however, as well as vehicles that are equipped with more and more increasingly complex technology, so working closely with the dealer is essential to guarantee availability of our trucks. I occasionally talk to drivers who have been with us since the eighties and who sometimes wonder why all this preventive maintenance is necessary. You hear them joking that in their day, the most they would have to do after covering 100,000 kilometres would be to top up the oil. I can’t deny that preventive maintenance costs money, but it does mean that we have a much safer, more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly fl eet, so we do save money in the long term”.

At the heart of society

Even though Transport Veynat’s 750 drivers criss-cross Europe, the company is fi rmly rooted at the heart of society. It takes its social responsibilities seriously and has ambitious goals when it comes to sustainability, including reducing CO₂ emissions and creating circular workfl ows to collect and reuse waste. Transport Veynat has also donated and delivered thousands of face masks to healthcare facilities during the pandemic. Pierre-Olivier is proud of the direction that the company is taking: “We are aware that we can make a signifi cant contribution to protecting the climate and we are open to new initiatives. That is why we are one of the first transport companies in France to test new alternative fuels such as ethanol. And our drivers also play their part by being more aware of the environmental impact of their driving behaviour. We support this approach, which is why we are a partner of DAF’s Eco Drive, as part of the DAF Driver Challenge. We want to move forwards together.