Bandstra Biographies: Tyson Vandevelde
August 9, 2024
Bandstra Biographies: Tyson Vandevelde
From our control center to the open road, Tyson Vandevelde is a master of precision and has a zest for adventure. His role involves coordinating logistics and managing transportation schedules, ensuring that operations run smoothly and efficiently and we are so grateful to have him on our team.
Meet Tyson VandeVelde, a dispatcher at Bandstra’s Terrace, BC terminal, who has spent nearly 20 years with the company — starting from cleaning trucks as a teenager to driving professionally and now coordinating operations in dispatch.
Tyson’s career reflects the many paths available within Bandstra and the strong sense of family that keeps people here for decades. Tyson’s journey with Bandstra started early, thanks to a family connection.
His father worked as a dispatcher, and Tyson spent weekends helping out around the terminal cleaning trucks. Before long, he was driving deliveries in a 5-ton truck, and by the age of 19 he had earned his Class 1 license, beginning a long career on the road.
One memorable route took him to Salmon Glacier near Stewart, a unique run that even briefly crosses through Alaska before returning to British Columbia.
After 14–15 years driving, Tyson moved into dispatch — a transition that allowed him to apply his firsthand knowledge of the road to coordinating drivers and freight.
“We coordinate between terminals — making sure drivers are taking the right loads and that we have the resources available for everything that’s booked.”
The role requires constant communication with drivers, sales staff, and the quoting team to keep operations running smoothly.
Because Tyson spent many years driving himself, he understands the challenges drivers face and can relate when they bring questions or concerns.
One of the things Tyson appreciates most about dispatching is the consistency it brings to his schedule. With predictable hours, he can plan time with family and enjoy activities outside of work — including playing hockey and mountain biking during the summer.
For Tyson, one of the best parts of working at Bandstra is the people and a sense of teamwork extends across drivers, office staff, and terminal teams who work together every day to keep freight moving throughout Northern BC.
“The culture is great here. Everybody gets along very well — it’s like one big happy family.”
Learn more about Tyson’s journey and the role dispatch plays in keeping Bandstra moving here on our Youtube channel.
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