Truckwash 1 Group is one of Europe’s leading providers of cleaning services for trucks, vans, and other vehicles that cannot fit through a standard car wash. They also operate an online store tailored to truck drivers. Their goal? To establish a hundred of their high-end car washes across Europe. “We have big growth ambitions,” Johannes begins. “But the number of locations is less important than the standard they meet. I always say: they have to be top-notch facilities. That’s in the little things. I want to give staff and customers the right atmosphere and experience, so they feel at home.”
Johannesjoined the company—which would later become Truckwash 1 Group—at the ageof 22 . At the time, it consisted of just a single car wash. His business partner, an older and more experienced entrepreneur, was the original owner of the business. Johannes now holds the majority of the shares. “From the moment we started operating under one banner, we acquired several locations every year,” says Johannes. In 2023 in particular, many new locations were added.
Taking the Lead
In 2020, Johannes joined Straight-Line Leadership, where he became part of a network of other entrepreneurs with a strong focus on growth. With the support he received as a member, he grew into a better leader. In 2022, he decided to offer his operations managers the same opportunity for growth within their roles.
Managers Milos Boekhorst and Jesse Broeren joined the Ownership (Self-Leadership) program that year. While Johannes’ journey focuses primarily on leading his company, Milos and Jesse’s emphasis is on personal leadership. “I started looking inward much more,” says Milos. “Instead of accepting that certain things just happened, I asked myself: what can I do to change this? I now know that I can make things happen, or that I can take control. Because I make conscious choices in that regard, I’ve started exercising more seriously, for example, and my relationship with my wife has improved.”
"Our commitments are now clear and measurable for everyone."
Getting bogged down in details
This realization also had a major impact on the business. In 2023, Milos, Jesse, and Johannes refined their goals. “We thought our targets were already crystal clear,” says Jesse. “But when we took a critical look at them, it turned out there was still plenty of room for improvement.”
The company did set goals, but they weren’t documented anywhere. The management team also wasn’t working specifically toward achieving them. Unconsciously, they spent a lot of time on peripheral matters that didn’t directly contribute to those goals. Jesse explains: “At one point, Milos and I were focusing solely on training our regional managers, rather than on the underlying target. Our commitment was to creating the very best managers, which is of course important, but as a result, the goals we wanted to achieve through that fell out of sight.” Johannes adds: “We got bogged down in details. Because of this, we started 2023 well, but results continued to decline at the beginning of the year.”
Together, they refocused their efforts where they belonged. “Our commitments are now clear and measurable for everyone,” says Jesse. “A 15 percent profit margin, 35 percent labor costs, and achieving 16 out of 18 KPIs.” Milos: “Truckwash 1 Group’s vision is clear to us. We’re all on the same page, which makes some things happen almost automatically. We often agree with each other because we know what will contribute to that—and what won’t.”
Fewer Meetings, Better Results
As a result, there are far fewer meetings than before. Last year, for example, they eliminated their weekly management team meetings. “At first, we met every week with the entire management team, including everyone with shares, such as our financial manager and CFO,” Johannes explains. “That didn’t yield much, so now we only do that once a quarter. I do meet weekly with Jesse and Milos, though, because we’re the ones who have to deliver results on the ground.”
During their weekly call, they go over the action items and make adjustments where necessary. That meeting lasts 15 minutes, instead of the two hours it used to take. “When all those numbers were shared every week, I thought: this could have just been sent in an email,” says Jesse. “We just want to focus on the targets and hit the ground running. That’s why we keep it short and to the point.”
"Everyone makes mistakes, including me. That's why it's important that we can give honest feedback."
Immediate correction
To stay on track, quick course correction is crucial. This means that the management team must be able to handle feedback effectively. Johannes explains: “Everyone makes mistakes, including me. That’s why it’s important that we can give open feedback. You might stumble, but for me, the most important thing is that you get back on track right away. At first, I often gave feedback a bit harshly, but Jesse and Milos took it well. At one point, Jesse gave me feedback for the first time. He said I came across as disinterested during a team call. Since I’m in a leadership role, he felt that wasn’t acceptable.”
At first, Milos found it harder to give feedback. “I wasn’t used to that directness and had a hard time with it,” he says. “Sometimes I’d get a very short message from Johannes, and I’d try to read all sorts of things into it. I’d lie awake at night thinking about it. So I held back, afraid of what might come back to me. But Johannes gave me the space to grow in that area, and now I’m much less hesitant. I also overthink things less when I receive feedback myself. Before, I used to blow things way out of proportion.”
Working Together
Starting in early 2024, Johannes, Milos, and Jesse focused intensely on their goals. They did this by communicating more effectively, holding fewer meetings, and, above all, keeping their commitment front and center. As a result, by the summer of 2024, they had already generated nearly as much profit as they had in all of 2023. “This year, our goal is to double our profits and prepare for a number of new locations,” says Johannes. “We’re definitely going to achieve that. In fact, we aim to double our profits every year.”
According to Jesse, it’s hard work, but they enjoy doing it: “We’ve become friends as well as colleagues. There’s nothing better than playing the entrepreneurial game together and building an empire. And that’s what all three of us get up for every day.”
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