History

Current NSE CEO Dirk Callant started his own transport company in Knokke-Heist in January 1982. He began by transporting cargoes arriving in Zeebrugge from the UK to destinations in the Benelux, Germany and France.

 

By then, Dirk Callant already had experience in the transport industry. He grew up in the world of contractors. In 1946 his father started a company in Knokke-Heist specialised in transporting construction materials. The focus would later switch to earth-moving and roadworks. So by the time Dirk Callant started his own transport company in 1982 he already possessed a lot of technical knowhow and managerial skills.

 

The company grew fast, fuelled by ever-increasing container traffic in Zeebrugge. In 1987 he formed North Sea Express (NSE) and moved the business to a central location in the port of Zeebrugge. In 1990 NSE moved into a brand-new building, close to a guarded 23,000m2 site where the trucks and semitrailers could be securely parked. Alongside the original activities, the company had by then set up its own transport department. The warehouse and distribution centre opened in 2010. A workshop with spraying booth and a petrol station would be added in time.

 

NSE now offers the whole gamut of transport solutions and warehousing facilities to destinations throughout Europe. Short-term goods storage and distribution. All logistical services are available.

 

NSE has always been an innovator. The transport company was the first in Belgium to develop its own software package for planning, tracking and reporting. It is also a pioneer when it comes to integrating navigation systems in its trucks. That started with the adoption of satellite navigation in the 1980s. Today’s technology can track every cargo and help drivers work efficiently. Smooth communication helps ensure the transport is completed without a hitch, as well as helping minimise customer costs.

 

The most recent example of NSE’s trailblazing role in the transport industry is the launch of an online platform for nearly new trucks. Over the years, CEO Dirk Callant has developed the strategy of buying new models and selling them on within a short space of time. This ensures the fleet is always up to date and enables customers to buy nearly new vehicles in perfect condition at competitive prices. Vehicles are now also available online.

CEO Dirk Callant