Bosman Shipping and DMC – partners since 1980

In the maritime sector, and certainly in inland shipping, customers often build strong long-term relationships with their suppliers, and vice versa. A good example is the relationship between DMC and Zwijndrecht-based family company Bosman Shipping Group.

We spoke to Roland Bosman together with his brother Antoon, co-owners of the company that has twenty-two vessels in its fleet, and to Gerard Goudriaan, a service engineer at DMC since 1992. Throughout the conversation, it was clear that both men enjoy their work and each other’s company – and that this is based on solid mutual trust.

Roland: ‘My eldest brother and I started at our father’s company together. We had one vessel back then, a container ship. We started on board, just sailing and working together, and gradually expanded. By 2024, Bosman Shipping Group had specialised in tankers and dry cargo and today we are primarily active in bunkering, oil transport, containers and bulk. We currently employ about 200 people and manage a fleet of three push barges, three container ships, sixteen tankers and nineteen container barges. And we have plans to build new vessels!’

The 1990s
Of course, that fleet has to be equipped with steering systems and rudders, which in turn need to be maintained. That’s where Gerard comes in – since 1992. ‘I was originally a car mechanic, but I had also worked as a warehouse worker, at an auto body shop, and as a sliding roof installer. When the job market took a downturn in those sectors, my brother-in-law, who worked at Buijs Shipyard, suggested I apply for a job at Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS merged with DMC in 2018, ed.). I applied to then-director Gerrit Spekman, heard nothing for a long time, then suddenly got a phone call one day. No rounds of interviews, no long procedure, just the question “When can you start?” I seized that opportunity and since that moment I have continuously worked on Bosman vessels.’

Personal contact
Maintenance is about planning, technology and budgets, but service goes much further. ‘Personal contact is crucial,’ says Gerard. ‘It helps to get the work done, to explain why certain actions are necessary, and to solve problems together. I check in and I also check out again, and I say what I’ve done or found in between. I also talk to all levels within the company: the technical department, the owners, the crew. And we don’t always only have work-related conversations either, which makes this work a lot of fun.’

‘Passing formal inspections and certifications takes time, but preventive maintenance avoids higher costs later on,’ Gerard continues. ‘That just goes better when the customer and supplier work together efficiently and on good terms.’

Preventive maintenance
Roland adds: ‘We’ve been customers of Van der Velden, now DMC, from day one. We have their rudders and steering systems on all our vessels. We also go to them for repairs and inspections. Preventive maintenance is indeed an essential part of this. We want our vessels to be in top condition, so if a problem is found during an inspection, we replace that part immediately.’

All vessels have an Online Management System that records everything about maintenance and inspections. ‘This helps keep DMC staff informed and facilitates maintenance planning, for example, the weekly checks like greasing nipples.’

You can tell that Bosman Shipping Group takes quality seriously by the fact that the company has drawn up its own annual checklist for items that only have a mandatory inspection every three years. Gerard: ‘At Bosman, the rule is often “don’t doubt, just do it”: it has to be right.’

‘Exactly!’ says Roland. ‘That keeps the fleet in top condition, despite the higher costs. It’s a reassuring thought that we have an expert inspect our vessels regularly. Our customers like that too.’

Why DMC?
‘My father was a satisfied customer,’ says Roland. ‘The products and service proved their reliability. We work with both mechanical and electrical components from DMC. One thing that really stands out is that DMC’s rudders have continued to evolve and improve over the years, which has led to better manoeuvring and fuel savings.’

Mutual loyalty
‘What is really important to us, with all our suppliers, is mutual loyalty. If we’re satisfied and someone does their best, we’re not likely to go to someone else. This applies to DMC too. Look, our vessels are sailing 24/7, and I need to be able to call someone when it’s necessary. We expect people to be there for us – and they are. When there’s a crisis – a vessel breaks down – there is no discussion about money; as long as they come and help. Our regular suppliers do that too, and that makes our services very reliable for our customers.’

Why Gerard?
‘I’d almost say that Gerard is ‘cuddly’,’ laughs Roland. ‘But joking aside, I mean that Gerard is approachable and professional. When you used to call Van der Velden, Gerard would come. Now when we call DMC, he also comes – always friendly and skilful. And, quite simply, he solves the issues.’

Gerard: ‘By combining the crew’s knowledge with our own expertise, we can get the vessels operational again quickly. That’s what matters. On top of that, modern sensors enable more self-diagnosis, which is helpful for quick troubleshooting or replacing parts. We do it together.’

New vessel building!
Bosman Shipping Group currently has five vessels on order: one container ship and four tankers. The tankers will start out transporting oil and will undertake methanol bunkering in the future as well. With the new vessels, the company will serve customers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Among other things, Roland and his team are looking at smart, efficient ways to navigate safely when water levels are low. Crew training is part of this, as well as other ways of loading. Bosman has its own shipbuilding team and designs the vessels itself, putting their decades of experience to good use. ‘We’re working with Rensen-Driessen to develop new designs to optimise loading at low water levels,’ Roland explains. ‘And the finishing work will be done by Dolderman.’

Will DMC be in the picture for the new shipbuilding too?
‘Definitely! Take the new container ship, for example. We chose the RMS for that. Because it’s such a big vessel, measuring 135 x 17.5 metres and 5 tiers high, we’re actually installing two.’

RMS stands for Rotor Manoeuvring System, a type of rotor propulsion system specially developed to provide inland vessels with better course stability and improved safety while underway, especially at low water, with strong crosswinds and/or when unloaded. Roland: ‘With DMC’s RMS, manoeuvrability and steering ability in the bow improves, which is useful on the many meandering rivers and windy canals in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.’

Finally: Why Bosman Shipping Group?
‘It’s a people business,’ Gerard says immediately, and Roland agrees completely. ‘It’s about mutual understanding and respect. That’s something you build up over the years, which I think is very important. That’s really what I enjoy about my work. Look, it’s actually a privilege that you get to go to the customer. So if you want to build long-term relationships, good collaboration is very important. I’ve also had different experiences over the past 30 years. You have some who are more likely to give a dog a bowl of water than give a mechanic a cup of coffee. But at Bosman’s, I always feel welcome – then you go the extra mile for them!’

To find out more about Bosman Shipping, visit www.bosmanshippinggroup.nl