The history of Transport Desmet-Naert began during the Second World War. Mr. Desmet founded Transport Desmet with two trucks. One was confiscated by the occupying forces, but he managed to save the other by dismantling the wheels.

After the war, the flatbed truck was given a second life. On Sundays, it was fitted with benches for excursions with the local community.

In the 1960s, his son Ghislain Desmet took over the helm. One of his regular clients was Dumont-Wyckhuyse, a flax and jute weaving mill on Mandellaan in Roeselare. Desmet was the primary haulier and frequently drove towards Luxembourg, which at the time was still a journey of several days.

When the weaving mill transitioned from flax and jute to plastics, Transport Desmet evolved with them. The factory moved to Wijnendalestraat, where foam blocks were also produced. In the 1970s, these blocks were transported using standard trailers with a capacity for twelve units.

An important innovation followed in the early 1980s: the first press trailer. The roof could be raised four metres, allowing the foam blocks to be stacked and compressed to 120 m³ per journey.

Together with his wife Simonne Naert, Ghislain further expanded the family business from a sole proprietorship to a private limited company and later NV Transport Desmet-Naert. A new name, the same values.

In the 1990s, Mr. Behaeghel took over the management. The company grew with modern 180 m³ press lorries and a fleet of eleven tractor units.

In 2008, Mr. Huyvaert took the helm. Under his leadership, the company expanded further with new clients, more trucks, and press lorries with a capacity of up to 300 m³.

In 2010, Transport Desmet-Naert moved to Regina Wautersweg in Roeselare.

The acquisition of Transport Verackx, a specialist in cement transport, followed in 2015. This represented a new market and the next step in the company’s development.