When it comes to touring, the sky is the limit. To help you move into infinity and beyond, meet co-owner Rudolf van Aalderen at GPS Global (member of Pieter Smit Group). Their subsidiary, GPS Trucking, works closely with Pieter Smit Group on global tours and sustainability.
So what exactly does GPS Trucking do?
“Basically at GPS Global we help you move overseas. If you’re touring through Europe with us and your next leg is in China or the United States, you don’t have to look for another company to handle your freight. We can arrange and coordinate the entire trip with you.
Wow, that must be a pretty big environmental challenge?
“Oh yes, of course. But because we work closely with the other Pieter Smit branches, a lot is happening already. Perhaps you’ve heard of the types of trailers we bought or the geothermal systems that heat our offices. And now, of course, the use of biodiesel in all our vehicles. Those are all ways in which we try to decrease our ecological footprint.”
Are there other ways in which GPS Trucking creates awareness?
“For starters GPS Trucking actually uses Pieter Smit Group trucks. The trailers are ours. It’s a form of sharing economy. But apart from that, I was really looking for a different way to promote sustainability. So we started supporting SmartBeeing, a foundation that protects bees. Life on earth is impossible without them, so it’s an important cause. We partnered up with them to help raise awareness. For a lot of people, including our own colleagues, sustainability isn’t a pressing issue. But it’s important for us to take our responsibility. Slowly, we are gaining support for our cause. People are starting to talk about it.
Is it hard to get people on board?
“Well, we’re pretty active, but it can be difficult to gather support from suppliers. But there are a lot of other companies embracing different kinds of compensation programmes, like building a windmill or planting a tree for every X amount of miles traveled. That’s a very commercial take on sustainability and not one we are necessarily interested in. It’s difficult to compensate for CO2 emissions so we chose to contribute in different ways. Raising awareness is definitely a part of that.”
