He has driven around the world 175 times. Jaap Martens (71) has driven more than 7 million kilometers in his truck. This year, Jaap Martens is celebrating his 50th anniversary at HST Group. That doesn't happen very often anymore. Nowadays, job hopping is quite normal, with people staying with the same employer for an average of six to seven years. Younger employees in particular switch jobs frequently.
But a small group still has a job for life. The hope is that more employees will reach their 50th anniversary with HST Group in the near future. "We strive for long-term employment," says Leo Brant, HR manager at HST Group.
Martens started as an international driver at Nijhuis Transport in 1971, which has been part of the HST Group in Enschede since 2007, and since then he has driven all over Europe several times.
Martens always enjoyed driving in countries such as Spain, Portugal, France, and Finland. He was less keen on going to the former Eastern Bloc countries, partly because of the crime. "They would even steal the steering wheel from your car," says Jaap.
A lot has changed in the world of a driver during that time. Europe was different back then; the opening of the land borders has had a major impact on the transport world. The "old boys' network
" culture is also less prevalent. "Because of all the cell phones, you are no longer so dependent on other drivers. In the past, you had a system where you helped each other."
Martens, who lives in Buursen, is the first employee to celebrate his 50th anniversary with HST Group. He has no plans to stop yet. "Being on the road for long periods of time is wonderful. What would I do at home?" Jaap and
HST Group have agreed that ten new Jaaps must be recruited before he can leave!