Trophy winner Erick Poutsma speaks about the RoadStars community and his work during the pandemic
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Erick Poutsma has seen a lot during his time as a driver. And, as is the case for many of us, the pandemic is also starting to grind on the 2015 RoadStars Trophy winner. But he has a message for the community: hang on in there! At some point, this period will be behind us.
Four years after the final in Romania, Erick (this time with wife Jan) visited the country again. In the background is the Bâlea Lac glacier lake, where several tasks took place in 2015.
There are days when even Erick Poutsma doesn’t feel like laughing. And the situation caused by the pandemic has a lot to answer for in this respect. Erick, who has pulled over his Actros somewhere on the A2 in Brandenburg to make a quick phone call, is usually known to be somewhat of a ray of sunshine. The winner of the 2015 RoadStars Trophy (where he occupied joint first place together with Wolfgang Doppelhofer) has regularly attended RoadStars events over the past years and is well-known for his ability to create a good atmosphere.
2015 winners of the Trophy: 1st place was shared by Erick Poutsma and Wolfgang Doppelhofer.
Whenever other RoadStars meet up, Erick happily joins them. Here, he was at the Truck Grand Prix on the Nürburgring.
The Dutchman is always at the forefront when Trophy participants meet up at the Truck Grand Prix or the IAA for Commercial Vehicles. “It’s great. There are so many memories that we all share,” he says. “Especially with the colleagues who were also at the final in Romania. We’ve all remained in contact since the Trophy event six years ago.”
The Trophy brings people together.
Erick even talks with some of the participants on a daily basis and the chat group set up with the other finalists is always full of banter. The tasks that the finalists had to master as a team in Romania brought them very close together. The off-road track, emergency stops on wet roads and driving blindfolded – the final demanded a lot from the participants. “You don’t forget things like those. The Trophy was a truly special experience. Besides meeting new friends, I came away from it with loads of happy memories.”
“At some point, this period will be behind us, and then we'll all be able to meet up again. And that's what we should be looking forward to.”
– Erick Poutsma
Motorcycle tour across Romania.
During his many drives through the Carpathian Mountains, he thoroughly enjoyed the country's landscapes. “Since then, I’m much more interested in Eastern Europe. In 2019, my wife and I returned to Romania on two wheels. And ultimately, it was the RoadStars trophy that gave me the idea,” says Erick, who lives near Groningen. Their route took them through the locations where the Trophy events were held. “When we rode over the Transfăgărășan, it brought back memories of 2015. And when we got to the glacier lake at the top, we stopped for a break.”
In his day-to-day work, Erick now mostly drives in Germany. His working week usually begins on Sunday evening and then he gets back to his wife in Groningen on Friday afternoon. In his Actros he drives the trucking equivalent of a regular bus route from Holland to Berlin and back, sometimes stopping off in Hamburg. More often than not, he can be seen driving along the A2. A few years ago, he used to cover routes to England and even cracked the one million kilometres mark with his Actros. But when Brexit loomed, he decided to change to his current employer.
And just like other drivers, he’s experienced a good many things last year that surprised even him from time to time. Erick has been on the road since 1994. “Here's an example for you: I was on the way to Milan to deliver something for an exhibition. When I got near Lucerne, my dispatcher called to tell me I should turn around because the exhibition had been cancelled.”
Plus, he also wanted to meet back up with the 2015 finalists last year which, of course, didn’t happen due to the pandemic. Just like so many other events. Despite the situation, Erick tries to remain positive. “What else can you do? At some point, this period will be behind us, and then we’ll all be able to meet up again. And that's what we should be looking forward to.”
Speaking of things to look forward to, this year, we will also be holding the RoadStars Trophy again. You’ll find out when and where right here on RoadStars. But we can tell you one thing already: we already have the participants!
Photos: Bernhard Huber, Sebastian Vollmert, Erick Poutsma
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Daar is een vriendschapsband ontstaan zoals militairen dat hebben in hun kazernes, de band gaat dieper dan elkaar kennen. Het kunnen vertrouwen op elkaar, het plezier van elkaar terug te zien op IAA of truckraces.
Met Erick Remco Tony en mezelf proberen we 3 maandelijks elkaar te zien, door Corona is dit nu al 16maand geworden 😢😢 Al heb ik al 2x Tony gezien.
Onze vriendschap gaat zover dat toen ik in 2017 trouwde, zij ( Erick, Remco en Tony) er ook bijwaren.
Like a band of Brothers 🤘🤘🤘
Daar is een vriendschapsband ontstaan zoals militairen dat hebben in hun kazernes, de band gaat dieper dan elkaar kennen. Het kunnen vertrouwen op elkaar, het plezier van elkaar terug te zien op IAA of truckraces.
Met Erick Remco Tony en mezelf proberen we 3 maandelijks elkaar te zien, door Corona is dit nu al 16maand geworden 😢😢 Al heb ik al 2x Tony gezien.
Onze vriendschap gaat zover dat toen ik in 2017 trouwde, zij ( Erick, Remco en Tony) er ook bijwaren.
Like a band of Brothers 🤘🤘🤘
Grüße Jörg 👍👍👍👍👍⛟😎
Grüße Jörg 👍👍👍👍👍⛟😎