Van der Schuyt

The Netherlands are a country particularly rich in waterways. Next to many natural ones, a fair number of canals have been dug over the centuries. Between 1632 and 1665 alone, in the heyday of the Dutch Golden Age, 658 km of canal was constructed by cities and investors. Also, the Zuiderzee, a large body of water in the middle of the northern part of the country, was a major interchange for shipping. Roads on the other hand, were of poor quality if they existed at all. A road network of some significance wasn't built until the early 19th century.

The scheduled services of the beurtvaart arose in the late 15th century and became both regulated and protected by local authorities in the 16th. It grew into an extensive and reliable network, spanning the nation and abroad. The beurtvaart carried passengers, livestock and freight, the latter break bulk cargo only, and sometimes it took the mail as well. In the course of the 19th century authorities withdrew from intervening in the transport sector. Meanwhile, the steam engine came to the shipping industry and ships would be constructed of iron and steel rather than wood. In this period of changes a great number of (smaller) shipping companies sprang up. They called themselves beurtvaart companies and offered combined and scheduled transportation for travellers, livestock and cargo. Most of them did well, especially between roughly 1865 and 1895.

In the course of the first half of the 20th century the shipping companies faced growing competition from the railways and especially the truck. Owning and operating a truck is a lot cheaper than a steam (later motor) vessel. Also, ships need additional last mile transportation, which a truck does by itself. The competitive edge of the truck became painfully clear during the Great Depression of the 1930s. After 1933 the number of shipping companies and shipping lines were declining fast. Some of them started to offer trucking services, even in competition with their own shipping lines.

World War II was an outright disaster for the shipping companies, as ships were lost to acts of war or were claimed. Companies like Van der Schuyt lost ships, the yard and offices in the Rotterdam Blitz. Getting back in business after the war proved difficult for all inland shipping companies, impossible for some. Especially the years 1947 and 1948 saw many liquidations, mergers and some shipping lines becoming trucking companies. Because of the economic upheaval after the war and the shortage of means of transport, the ones that became trucking companies did reasonably or very well. By this time public passenger travel had moved to train and bus and the shipping companies moved livestock and cargo only - with a few exceptions.

In 1946 Van der Schuyt and Van den Boom decided tot cooperate and in 1948 the two companies fully merged, also involving Reederij Stanfries. The company was based in Rotterdam and had a share capital of 1.5 million Dutch guilder. S.B.S. invested heavily in motorising its fleet, almost completing that by 1955. That year the company owned 44 motor ships, next to 5 steamers scheduled for a refit and 19 smaller vessels.

S.B.S. also invested in road transportation, owning 34 trucks with 25 trailers by 1955. In had a new head office built in Rotterdam in 1954. The company operated several ferries across rivers and was active in tourist travel.