Complete silence reigned on the crowded grandstand when the winner was to be announced. Suddenly an engine noise was heard and around the corner came Scania's President and CEO Leif Östling driving in a truck that symbolised the first prize. The winner will be able to specify his own Scania truck from scratch.
Sporadic guesses were heard from the audience, and those who believed in Belgium were right. An overwhelmed Laurens D’Huyvetter was the final winner. Leif Östling threw the keys into the cup that Laurens received during ovations from the audience. The sun glistened in the silver confetti that was thrown on the three medallists. The stage was full of media photographers who wanted to get pictures of the happy drivers.
Laurens D’Huyvetter managed to escape from the podium to have pictures taken together with the truck and his girlfriend Katy Lassuy. Everyone wanted to know “How does it feel?”.
And it felt very well, “it’s like a dream”, described Laurens. His mobile phone rang, and it was hard to miss the tears in his eyes when he explained to his mother in Belgium that he had just become the best young truck driver in Europe.
After participating in YETD 2003, where he ended up in second place, Laurens was eager to make a good result. At the same time he knew beforehand that the competition would be keener, with more contestants and tougher qualifying rounds.
Young but experienced
Already at the age of 28, Laurens is an experienced truck driver.
“My father has been the owner of the haulage company where I work for many years, so I basically grew up with trucks.”
Nine years as a professional driver, and several years of trying the profession before that, has given Laurens a unique feeling for where he has every inch of his truck and trailer. This was invaluable during the manoeuvring test in the competition.
In the company N.V. Vervoer Ter Vichten, in the Belgian province of West-Flanders, Laurens' mother has taken over the management of the company together with her two sons. Laurens drives volume cargo such as new empty pallets and synthetic fibres for the textile industry. He drives in the Benelux area, in France and in Germany.
“My strength as a truck driver is that I drive calmly and I am aware of my fellow road-users. It’s important to have the right mentality on the road and not get upset about the others, whom you can’t influence anyhow.”
Belgium is a small country with dense traffic. There are lots of passenger cars mixed with heavy transit traffic passing through the country on the way to the final destination.
The company has a fleet of 24 trucks – all Volvo – and will now get its first Scania.
“It will be very nice,” says Laurens. He explains that it’s quite different to drive a Scania compared to Volvo, which he is more used to. “The gearbox is different, for example.”
YETD a good initiative
Laurens appreciates Scania’s initiative to arrange the YETD competition.
“I see this as an important contribution to raise the image of the truck driving profession. I think Scania makes a very good effort here.”
Eddy van Crombruggen, responsible for Communications at Scania Belgium and also for their national YETD final, had great hopes for the Belgian finalist.
“During our national qualification rounds he was outstanding. He is really professional and he has nerves of steel. Laurens seems to have a sixth sense for the dimensions of the truck and the driving; after all he has been doing it since he was a young boy,” says Eddy van Crombruggen. He adds that they were prepared for a tougher competition this time, and they had indeed seen some drivers making very good results out there.
The first thing that Laurens will do after returning home is to arrange a celebration party, he says. And if he is lucky he will receive his new Scania truck in time for his and Katy’s wedding in November.
Text: Emma Norrman
Photo: Dan Boman and Carl-Erik Andersson
