Cold Start

Friday, 8 May 2026
The first quarter of 2026 began with cold and icy conditions, creating a heavy workload for the recovery companies operating on the Dutch motorway network. Between 2 and 7 January, around 150 accidents occurred on IM roads each day-twice the normal number. Winter conditions persisted particularly in the northern part of the country. In the three northern provinces, 9, 12 and 24 January were also exceptionally busy, with 32, 20 and 32 accidents respectively, representing three to five times the normal daily total. After 4 February, the weather became milder, but by then Rijkswaterstaat had already spread 174 million kilograms of road salt-almost a record and three times as much as during the winter of 2024-2025.

Takel- en Bergingsbedrijf Poort on the N370 west of Groningen on 7 January (report L26004647).

The cold weather meant that IM recovery operators were dispatched more frequently during the first quarter than in the same period of 2025: 37,875 recoveries compared with 36,281, an increase of 4%. Remarkably, the higher workload had little effect on response times. The nationwide average response time (ART) was 10:47 minutes, only 15 seconds longer than in the previous quarter. Some recovery companies in the north required two to three minutes longer than usual during the first twelve days of the year, but most recovered that lost ground in the weeks that followed. Two companies stood out: C.L. International in Harlingen and Garagebedrijf Fruitema in Oude Pekela were actually faster than usual between 1 and 12 January despite the severe winter weather.

Quickest recovery operators - 2026 Q1

The ranking includes only companies that completed at least 100 recoveries during the quarter. The response time shown for each company is the weighted average of the average response times achieved across all IM districts assigned to that company.

For the first quarter in succession, Takel-, Berging- en Transportbedrijf A. Barendregt of Rhoon was the country's quickest recovery company. Barendregt completed 3,684 recoveries with an average response time of 5:57 minutes, just 14 seconds above the record the company set in the previous quarter. De Driesprong of Loenen (L), which ranked tenth in the final quarter of 2025, failed to finish among the leaders this time-and will not do so again. Effective 1 April 2026, the company transferred its IM recovery operations in district L353 to Autohulpdienst Broekmans of Venlo.

Marcel, Mart and Maurice Broekmans (left to right) of Autohulpdienst Broekmans, the IM recovery operator in district L353 since 1 April.

Road maintenance contractor De Jong Zuurmond announced on Liberation Day that it had acquired Haulo Sint Maarten, the IM recovery company serving Alkmaar and the northern part of North Holland. Under the leadership of former shareholder Klaas Klomp, Haulo has grown into one of the country's larger regional recovery companies. Klomp will remain with the company, while day-to-day management will pass to his sons Frank and Marco. Haulo is the fourth recovery company acquired by De Jong Zuurmond. Earlier acquisitions include Bergnet, Amsterdamse Bergingscombinatie ("ABC") and Transport, Takel- en Bergingsdienst A. van der Eng.

Riet Haulo, the late wife of Klaas Klomp, who for many years was the driving force behind Haulo Sint Maarten together with him.