Managing Director Frank Bos Jr. was recently interviewed by Logistiek.nl. During the interview, Frank shared his vision and the ambitions of Bos Logistics.

Expanding across the entire process is what logistics service providers must do to make a difference. At least, that is the vision of Frank Bos Jr., who has been at the helm of the family-owned company Bos Logistics for over a year now and is primarily seeking to achieve this through collaboration with international partners.

Frank Bos Jr.’s Ambition
Bos Logistics ranks 80th in the Top 100 Logistics Service Providers, with a “best-in-class” rating in the area of labor and training. The company has 500 employees, a fleet of 275 trucks, and 250 trailers. Since its founding in 1961, the service provider has specialized in warehousing and the pre- and post-carriage of air and sea freight for clients such as Kuehne-Nagel, Ceva, and UPS. Frank Bos Jr. is now the third generation to run the family business. “You pick up a lot just sitting at the kitchen table.” At one point, he started out as a “youngster” in the organization and worked his way up through every step—from washing cars to commercial manager to operations director. “With the experience I’ve gathered over the years, along with feedback from my father and the organization, I drafted a plan in early 2022. It starts with who we are as an organization, how we’ve become who we are today, and how we envision the next five years. It also includes five main objectives and core values: growth, structural profitability, data-driven operations, improving our image, and sustainability.” Over the next five years, Bos aims to double revenue with a greater focus, targeting 100 million euros.

Engagement at all levels Bos has now been working on
implementing that plan for over a year. In doing so, he wanted to place responsibility as low as possible within the organization. Each department was asked to create its own plan based on these objectives. “You see that they make it their own in their own way. They become engaged with your plan. That’s how a sort of master plan emerged within two months. It’s as if a sort of ‘wild lion has been unleashed within the organization.’ In this way, Bos is building a company with a future. ‘We’ve also had quite a few difficult years, and when you see what’s happened since the rollout of this vision, it’s incredibly exciting for me.’

Structural profitability essential for future viability
One of the goals is structural profitability. Like so many companies in this sector, Bos faces a major investment challenge due to electrification, the sustainability agenda, the CSRD directive, automation, data, buildings that must become climate-neutral, and labor market shortages. “If you don’t have structural profitability, then with all those investment challenges, you have no reason to exist in the future.”

An evolving
IT culture Being data-driven and developing an IT culture marks a turning point within the Bos organization. “We’ve gotten where we are by working hard and putting in long hours. We need to manage much more based on facts and data, so that every department gains its own insights. Additionally, I want us to automate as much as possible everything that’s currently done manually.” Bos has now brought on board two employees from an external IT partner. “This allows us to build a much better bridge to customers. We can provide better insight into their processes. That’s going over really well. It also helps clients gain confidence in our organization.”

Improving our image: a new perspective on the logistics sector
Logistics doesn’t have the best reputation, and Bos is well aware of that. “People need to want to work for us, partly to ensure we can handle the growth. Additionally, there’s still room for improvement in the area of customer experience. How we answer the phone, for example, or how we handle a problem. We’re in a B2B business, but our customers need to feel that they’re being treated as consumers. That’s a different way of thinking.”

Leading the Way in Sustainability
This also applies strongly to sustainability. Bos wants to be a true pioneer in this area within the sector. “Even without our customers asking, we already offer a solution with CO2 reporting via a digital platform where they can view the data. We are currently working on CSRD, the new directive set to go live in 2025. As one of the first carriers in the Netherlands, we want to be ready for that. We’re also involving our largest customers in this.”

The logistics service provider now has three electric trucks on the road.
The electric trucks (Volvo FH Electric) are used for first- and last-mile delivery at Schiphol to handle DSV’s cargo. We also immediately seized the opportunity to test the Mercedes E-Actros for two weeks. This is part of the Tulips project, in which a consortium of companies is working on the rollout of sustainable technology to contribute to emission-free and waste-free airports by 2030. The purchase of an electric truck fits into this initiative. Furthermore, forty percent of the fleet runs on HVO100, which is also linked to a reporting system, allowing customers to see for themselves how much CO2 reduction has been achieved.

Focus on Belgium
Greater attention to the logistics service provider’s location in Belgium is also part of the growth strategy. “The branch in Zaventem was always a bit of an afterthought. We only provided transport services there, but not yet the warehouse facility. We have appointed a new manager there to implement the process currently in place in the Netherlands in Zaventem as well.” To make real progress, Bos also acquired transport company Vanbever-Heymans earlier this year, along with a new 4,000-square-meter facility to serve as a cross-dock center. The facility will be available starting in January 2024.

The door to Europe is slowly opening
Looking ahead, Bos aims for close collaboration with other parties outside the Netherlands. “If we can eventually serve all of Europe through collaboration, that’s a massive step forward. To make a difference, you have to broaden your scope across the entire process. In my view, supply chain integration is the key to staying competitive and establishing an efficient process. Ultimately, it’s about how quickly and efficiently the customer moves through the process.”

You can read the article on Logistiek.nl here: https://www.logistiek.nl/195532/bos-logistics-spreidt-vleugels-uit-op-luchthaven-zaventem (in Dutch)