Tony, BTV car transporter driver
A qualified driver after a stint in the gendarmerie, Tony has tried out many different transport activities over the last 20 years: tipper, tarpaulin, fridge, etc. He got used to changing companies every year, as he wasn't very keen on the activities he was doing. Tony was only sure of one thing: he would be a car carrier or a tanker ! What better vocation to hope to find at GCA? Since October 2021, Tony has been one of the Group's multi-skilled drivers, who can handle both tippers and car-carrier platforms.
It was BTV that gave me the chance to start out in the car carrier business, and today I wouldn't change for anything in the world. I love my job, the conviviality and the sharing in my company between the drivers and the other employees of the company who work on the fleet, in the workshops and in the offices. During the COVID, BTV experienced a drop in activity. I didn't hesitate for a second to go and help my SUDOTRANS colleagues in the Transport & distribution branch, who were experiencing an increase in business.
That's what being part of a group is all about : standing together and getting through things hand in hand. I'm proud of my job as a driver and the satisfaction it brings me every day. My motto: ‘ safety first ’.
Stéphane, instructor at BTV
When he was younger, Stéphane was predestined either for a career in graphic art or in transport. After several exhibitions of his drawings and work on posters for Mercedes, it was transport that finally came to him. His career took off thanks to a positive response from the AFPA to a request for enrolment in a transport training course sent 2 years earlier. A stroke of luck. So, without any hesitation, he started the course. After a few short stints with hauliers, he joined BTV as a car carrier driver. For more than 4 years, he has progressed to the position of instructor. It's now up to him to pass on his passion for vehicle logistics and technical loading skills to our new drivers.
Starting up in this company has been my greatest opportunity! I have to admit that transporting vehicles is a business that's a cut above the rest. We have to think about our loads every day: the position of the cars, the order of deliveries, the height of our load and think about the different ways we handle the trays to avoid damaging the goods. Every load is a challenge, and that's what makes our job so exciting and rewarding! Every driver is proud when they achieve ‘THE’ load.
Today, as an instructor, it's a real pleasure to help teams grow and to find new learning and training solutions. BTV has offered me an exciting job in which I am autonomous, where I can develop my ideas and implement them in a spirit of family and performance.
Cédric, HGV workshop manager at TEA Lauterbourg
Cédric started out in HGV maintenance at a very young age, apprenticing with Transeuro in 2006 (now TEA Lauterbourg). He's been in the business for 16 years, above all out of passion. Without his love of HGV mechanics and a job well done, he wouldn't be able to enjoy his job so much. The profession has changed over the last few years, and the HGV workshop has been opened up to outside repairs, which has enabled him to develop his skills.
Although I'm a Manager, I like to get my hands dirty and help my teams carry out maintenance work on our trucks and car trailers. The Group has enabled me to evolve and develop my skills, in particular through close collaboration with the teams, drivers and manufacturers. On a daily basis, I have to adapt to the new drivers, who are less at ease with HGV mechanics than the old ones, but sharing and passing on good practice in truck maintenance is very rewarding.
The 3 words that best define my job are passion, professionalism and management! For me, it's a real source of pride to be a mechanic on a car transporter. It's a job you do from the heart.
Noël, heavy goods vehicle driver at TEA Alsace
Noël comes from a family of hauliers. It's been “in his blood” since he was 10 years old. He started working for Transeuro in 1992 on international transport (particularly to Eastern Europe). At that time, his job as a driver meant being away from home for 2 or 3 weeks. But in his opinion, those were the best years of his career, because he visited so many countries. Noël joined TEA Alsace in 2001, working directly on the car carrier business. After a short stint with another company, he came back to TEA Alsace because it's a good place to work!
Today, in addition to my job as a driver, I'm a jury member with the AFTRAL for professional qualifications. I check trainees on their practical and theoretical tests. I try to put them at ease and give them the best possible support. It's important to be educational with the new generation. They also need to be “boosted” and motivated by our profession. It's important, they're the drivers of the future!
After all, we do the most beautiful job in the world: sitting at the foot of our bed all day, watching the countryside go by! My job is a passion and I wouldn't change it for the world.
Hervé, LV workshop manager at TEA Alsace
His father was a HGV driver in the company, and it was thanks to him that Hervé started out as a groundsman. It was a bit of a coincidence that he ended up in this job, as he was planning to go to non-commissioned officer school. One day, the branch manager called him to come and help out temporarily. In the end, he stayed in the park for 10 years.
Thanks to my perseverance, hard work and commitment, the company entrusted me with starting up TEA ALSACE's LV workshop (stickers, wood trim). I was able to develop at the same time as my workshop, and that was a fantastic opportunity! The company has really allowed me to develop professionally. Today, I'm part of the management team and I manage more than 10 people. I'm given enough autonomy to move forward on a daily basis.
Where will I be in 5 years' time? At TEA, of course, with a more modern workshop and new services on the way. The group is always there to support its subsidiaries, and that's important in good times and bad. The golden rule at TEA Alsace is solidarity. We always advocate teamwork between ourselves and with the customer. We always have to find a solution for the customer, and with a smile!
Pascal, car transporter driver at BTV
After leaving the Legion, where he had served for 10 years, and holding all his driving licences, it seemed obvious to Pascal that he should switch to transport. However, he wanted to find a job in which he would be autonomous and where he could have a fulfilling personal life. After a variety of experiences in transport companies, Pascal was co-opted by a friend who was already a driver at BTV. As he had never driven a car transporter, the manager envisaged a training course of more than 6 months to become autonomous. In 15 days, he had already learnt the mechanics and was on his way to make deliveries on his own.
The job of car transporter driver is not an easy one, but it's a job to be passionate about! There's a real sense of solidarity between the drivers, and everyone tries to make the best loads. The atmosphere in the company is really important, and at BTV I've rediscovered the family spirit of the Legion. My job is a demanding one, and I'm constantly thinking about it, but it keeps me on my toes. The slightest error in loading or the order of deliveries can turn my day into a real headache. But that's also what makes the job so interesting: I don't just drive my lorry, I have to think about how it should be loaded.
In any case, the next generation is assured, as my son is starting a sandwich course at BTV. Transport is also a family affair, as it is for the Charles André Group.