Young, female, and a mechanic

"It’s hard work and you get dirty, but don’t let that stop you"

Amy Gruijters, 20 years old, has been working at Van den Bosch since the start of this year — as a mechanic in our garage in Erp, to be precise. And although people looked at her with surprise on her first day, she was welcomed with open arms. “It only motivates me more to prove that, as a woman, I can do this job too.”

In September, Gruijters will officially start her training to become a qualified commercial vehicle mechanic. But even now, she works daily on trailers, installs new brake callipers and discs, and fits on-board computers. “At first, I was supposed to work in the warehouse and shadow the mechanics. But from day one, I was so interested in the work that I got the chance to take on more and more tasks.”

The more damage, the more excitement

Her interest in cars started at a young age. “When I bought my first car at 18, I started doing repairs myself — often together with my dad. He knows so much about the trade, even though he’s not a mechanic.” Her father, Barry Gruijters, also works at Van den Bosch. After working as a driver and as Operations Director of the Dry Bulk division, he has been Managing Director at Bulkio since October 2023. According to his daughter, he has been a true inspiration. “I think it’s really cool that he can repair anything on a car, even though he’s not a mechanic.”

Gruijters hopes to be able to do the same one day. She’s excited to start her training. “No two days in the garage are the same. I get really enthusiastic when I see a trailer that needs a lot of work — those usually have the most wear and tear. It means it’s going to be a long job. When I see the end result looking almost new, I can really be proud of myself.” She prefers working on trailers: “It’s physically demanding, but it means I can skip the gym,” she laughs.