Interview of the week - Holleman Transport - Serbia

Dejan was born in 1976. He has a Masters Degree in Road and City Logistics from the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering of the University of Belgrade. He has been in this kind of transport projects since 2003. In 2008 he joined Holleman Serbia, where he is now Managing Director.

Tell us about Holleman Transport Doo. Who owns the company?

Company Holleman transport d.o.o. in Serbia was established in 2008., as part of the multinational transportation company Holleman Special Transport & Project Cargo SRL – Peter Schwandner & Logistik GmbH.

Where are your offices located?

Holleman Serbia is located in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, very close to Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport.

Besides Serbia, we have offices in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Norway and Germany. In all these countries Holleman has a transport fleet and a complete logistics infrastructure.

What is Holleman Transport Serbia specialty and service range?

We specialize in transportation of oversized and heavy cargo in domestic and international services, with own fleet. Apart from that, we are very active in river ports in Serbia, on Danube and Sava rivers, and also in the ports of the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

Tell us about projects that you have handled recently.

During all these years of doing business in Serbia, Holleman has participated in all major infrastructure projects, construction of highways, mines, hydro-energy and thermal power plants, steel companies and many other industrial plants where our services are needed.

Last year Holleman Serbia was involved in projects related to the reconstruction of copper mines in Bor and Majdanpek, for the Chinese company ZIJIN. During these projects, we transported a large amount of oversized goods on the route from China (over the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea) to Serbia. Our company handled complete logistics including transshipment in ports, rivers and road transport of goods.

During the project we performed transport of huge pieces with width over 6 meters, length over 40 meters etc…

In 2020, we also performed several transports of power transformers for the needs of the Serbian electricity industry, with a total weight of about 200t.

Are there any tricky points one should consider when planning a project cargo movement in the Serbia?

Serbia as a country is in a good geographical position and all roads that connect Western and Central Europe with the Balkans and Eastern Europe go through Serbia. There is no reason to bypass Serbia in alternative routes, even though it is not a member of the EU.

In Serbia, roads are very good, there is a good connection of all parts of the country without major restrictions on the dimensions of transport vehicles. Generally, a height of 4.5 meters is allowed everywhere, so the conditions for basic oversized transportation are good.

And of course, you can always look for the option of river transport which has as well as good connections to Adriatic ports such as Rijeka in Croatia and Koper in Slovenia.

How would you describe the o/g permit issuance process in your country?

Procedures for obtaining permits for OOG transports in Serbia are simple and fast, but compared to most EU countries, they are more expensive.

What is your advantage against competition? Why do you stand out?

The Serbian market and transport companies, like most in the region, have always lagged behind the Western EU in terms of technical equipment and transport capacity. Holleman brought something new to this market, like modern means of transport, new and most modern vehicles that cover all segments of oversized and overweight cargo.

But the most important segment of our business and what makes us recognizable is our team of people. We have all been in OOG transport for a very long time, very experienced and educated for the most demanding projects. We try to understand the needs of customers and solve their transport problems at the production planning stage. Over the years, we have gained the trust of many clients in Serbia and abroad who have recognized our potential and the unreserved and sincere support we provide them.

What made you join the industry?

I have been in transport all my life. After college, I was lucky to get a job in the profession and get to know the charms of this job. Now, I cannot imagine myself in any other transport segment except in this industry.

What was the impact that COVID-19 brought to your business?

In March - April of 2020, when all this started, I was not very optimistic, but soon we all adapted and found a way...

We have found an alternative to our well-established standard jobs and finally at the end the year was good.

Who should be approached in Holleman Transport - Serbia for inquiries?

You can contact us through our emails: info@holleman.rs, directly our Sales Manager at luka.raco@holleman.rs or me at dejan.tubic@holleman.rs