Editing Vriendenpost

{{Infobox company
| name = Vriendenpost
| logo = Vriendenpostlogo.png
| logo_caption = Vriendenpost logo
| native_name = Vriendenpost B.V.
| native_name_lang = nl
| type = [[Besloten vennootschap]] (B.V.)
| industry = Postal service, courier, express and parcel delivery
| founded = 3 October 2016
| founder = [[Leendert Noord]]
| headquarters = [[Vriendendam]], [[Netherlands]]
| area_served = [[Netherlands]]
| services = Addressed mail, parcel delivery, document courier, contract rounds, signed delivery, depot transfers
| key_people = [[Leendert Noord]] {{small|(director)}}
| owner = [[Leendert Noord]]
| num_locations = 2 depots {{small|(2025)}}
| num_employees = 156 {{small|(2025)}}
| revenue = €24.6 million {{small|(2025)}}
| net_income = €1.5 million {{small|(2025)}}
}}

'''Vriendenpost''', legally '''Vriendenpost B.V.''', is a Dutch courier and postal company based in [[Vriendendam]], [[Netherlands]]. It was founded on 3 October 2016 by [[Leendert Noord]]. The company provides mail, parcel, and document delivery across the [[Netherlands]]. As of 2026, it operates about 100 vehicles and employs 156 people.

== History ==
Vriendenpost was established in [[Vriendendam]] as a private courier company serving local businesses, offices, workshops, and private addresses. Its earliest work consisted mainly of addressed letters, signed documents, replacement parts, and small parcels moving between Vriendendam, [[Rotterdam]], [[Arnhem]], [[Ede]], and [[Apeldoorn]].

At the start, the company operated on a modest scale with 22 vehicles and a small sorting site on the industrial edge of the city. Its early reputation was based on regular collection rounds, direct dispatch, and the ability to handle smaller consignments that larger carriers often grouped into wider national networks.

=== Expansion ===
After its first years, Vriendenpost expanded beyond local courier work and developed regular routes between [[Vriendendam]] and [[Rotterdam]]. This led to the opening of a secondary depot in Rotterdam, which allowed the company to handle western distribution more efficiently and to connect regional rounds with longer-distance trunk routes.

As parcel volumes increased, Vriendenpost broadened its activities to include contract rounds, next-day delivery, signed consignments, depot transfers, and scheduled business collections. By the early 2020s, it had become a medium-sized independent carrier with regular services linking Vriendendam to cities such as [[Utrecht]], [[Breda]], [[Eindhoven]], [[Zwolle]], and other delivery points in the Netherlands.

The company continued to grow through contract work and repeat business. It recorded its first fully profitable full year in 2019, passed five million handled consignments in 2022, and reached a fleet of about 100 vehicles in 2025.

== Operations ==

Vriendenpost operates as a structured courier network with a main sorting depot in [[Vriendendam]] and a secondary cross-dock and dispatch site in [[Rotterdam]]. Its activities include addressed mail, parcel delivery, business collections, document courier work, contract rounds, signed delivery, and depot-to-depot transfer services.

The Vriendendam site contains sorting space, van loading bays, temporary parcel storage, dispatch offices, and customer collection points. The Rotterdam depot functions mainly as a transfer site for western routes and longer-distance distribution.

The company uses scanning and proof-of-delivery systems for route control, parcel registration, and customer tracking. It also maintains customer service, route planning, overnight vehicle parking, and in-house mechanical support.

The workforce consists of 156 employees. Most are employed as drivers, couriers, sorters, line-haul staff, dispatch coordinators, customer-service workers, mechanics, and administrative personnel.

== Fleet ==
[[File:VriendenpostKangoo.png|thumb|397x397px|A brand new Vriendenpost Renault Kangoo from 2016]]
The Vriendenpost fleet consists mainly of white [[Renault Kangoo]] panel vans with simple company markings. These vehicles are used for local mail rounds, document delivery, and small parcel work in urban and suburban areas.

For higher-volume parcel work, the company also operates larger [[Renault Master]] vans. These are used on routes with heavier loads, grouped consignments, and business contracts that exceed the practical capacity of the Kangoo fleet.

Longer inter-city movements and depot transfers are supported by [[Iveco Daily]] box trucks. A small number of [[Volkswagen Golf Variant]] estate cars are used for route supervision, inspections, and management travel.

As of 2026, the fleet is made up of about 82 Renault Kangoo vans, 10 Renault Master vans, 6 Iveco Daily box trucks, and 2 Volkswagen Golf Variant cars.

== Incidents ==

In December 2017, a burglary took place at the Vriendendam depot during the night shift. Several registered letters and small parcels were reported missing. Most of the missing items were later recovered, and the company introduced additional CCTV coverage, loading-bay controls, and seal checks after the incident.

In 2021, a software failure affected barcode registration and proof-of-delivery updates across parts of the network. Deliveries continued, but customer tracking information remained incomplete for several days, especially on routes linked to [[Gelderland]] and [[Rotterdam]].

In September 2024, one of the company's [[Iveco Daily]] box trucks was involved in a multi-vehicle collision on the A1 near [[Apeldoorn]]. No deaths were reported. The incident delayed several inter-city runs and led to changes in line-haul scheduling and fatigue-control procedures.

== See also ==
* [[Leendert Noord]]
* [[Noord family]]
* [[Vriendendam]]
* [[Rotterdam]]
* [[Renault Kangoo]]

[[Category:Noord family]]
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Transport companies]]
[[Category:2016 establishments]]
[[Category:Vriendendam]]
[[Category:Vriend Era]]