Cartec visits … Poetsen bij Nagel
Janneke and Cobus live in Ophemert. Together they have a 6-year-old son, who is being brought up on Cartec detailing products. Here you can read how truck detailing has become their way of life.
From hobbyist to professional
Janneke works in the flower industry and Cobus as a planner in the trucking world. But besides that, they share a hobby that has got completely out of hand: restoring trucks, passenger cars and boats to showroom condition using Cartec products.
They have a beautiful trailer fully loaded with Cartec products. With this, they travel across the country to take care of everything for their customers and leave them amazed by a gleaming end result.
Meeting Cartec dealer Wouter
Cobus always took great care of his own car and spent a lot of time making it shine. When people around him started asking if he could do the same for them, things started moving. Cobus visited the trade fair in Gorinchem and there, now 7 years ago, he met Wouter Meijering, the Cartec dealer in their region.
On the spot, he purchased a Cartec polishing machine, a Colorline click rack (which still hangs in the garage as a collector’s item), polishing paste, and pads. The result was highly satisfying, and he always knew how to find Wouter.
The bar is set high. “We are not easily satisfied; it simply has to be perfect,” they say unanimously.
Detailing trucks for the Truckstar Festival
Cobus got a new truck for his job as a truck driver. He had been driving it for six months, and the vehicle was incredibly dirty. It was covered in limescale and manure stains, and they decided to tackle it thoroughly from top to bottom. “We refurbished the truck in three weeks. We didn’t look at the price, but at the result. It had to be good.” And that was the moment Cobus noticed: this suits me, I want to do more with this.
First prize at Europe’s largest truck event
More and more customers arrived, and that was also the time they ended up in the paddock at Truckstar in Assen. Truckstar Festival is the largest truck event in Europe. “The result couldn’t have been better, it was completely finished,” Cobus says with satisfaction on his face. “And we won first prize there,” Janneke adds beamingly. Since then, they detail a truck for the paddock at Truckstar every year.
“Gradually, I gained a good reputation and people were able to find us more easily.” Nowadays, they detail a great number of trucks, cars, boats, interiors, and even a jet ski once.
Janneke and Cobus are a strong team and have been working together from the very start. Cobus takes on all the polishing work, while Janneke handles the steam cleaning, the interiors, and buffing off the wax. This way, they complement each other perfectly and aim for a top result together.
Maximum Results in the ‘Most Beautiful Truck Street’
Two years ago, friends asked if they would detail their truck for the ‘Mooiste Truckstraat’ (Most Beautiful Truck Street) at the Truckstar Festival. “We truly gave it our all there. An countless number of hours went into all that detailing work.”
At the end of 2025, a name and a logo were created, and Poetsen bij Nagel was born.
Why Poetsen bij Nagel chooses Cartec products
The collaboration with Cartec dealer Wouter has been fantastic from the start and is worth a great deal to them. “We have a great connection and Wouter is incredibly fast. He is even there for us if I need supplies on an evening or a Saturday,” Cobus says. “And he just delivers the goods to our house, or I collect the order from him.” Janneke emphasises: “Yes, we are very happy with this great partnership.”
“Cartec simply makes great stuff. Fine products that work well. It is very clear with all the colours; you know exactly what goes together.”
The professionals’ favourite Cartec products
Splash Shampoo is used the most here. In addition, they are fans of Vinyl, Iron Wash, the Refinish Line, and Fast Glaze. “Everything has its own colour and cloth, which keeps things organized,” Cobus explains. “After using the Splash Shampoo, the vehicle is often already looking very beautiful.”
Hard work as pure relaxation
On average, it takes about 50 hours to detail a truck and make it shine. Of course, this depends entirely on the condition, the size, and the wishes of the customer. Together they detail a lot of trucks. Towards the show season, the first customers return after the winter. That is peak season for Cobus and Janneke. “We work long days, and for us, that is pure relaxation. You don’t have to think about anything, just look at what you’re doing,” Cobus says. “You see it transforming, and when the end result comes into view, we can hardly stop in the evening,” Janneke laughs.
A tip for truckers who want to keep their vehicle looking beautiful: “Keep on top of it, that saves so much work,” Janneke says. “And wash it once a week by hand using Splash Shampoo,” Cobus adds.
Streak-free results for the Truckstar Festival
This coming weekend, three nominated trucks detailed by Janneke and Cobus will be on display at the Truckstar Festival. “On Friday, we are going to go over them with products like Vinyl and Hybrid Wax. We won’t miss a single millimetre. They must be completely streak-free, because at night under the lights, you see everything,” Cobus says. The jury arrives on Saturday, and the results are announced on Sunday. “It’s exciting because the bar is set high, and it’s all quite serious,” Janneke says.
We wish you a wonderful Festival and, of course, another trophy!
Want to read more about Cartec dealers? Meet Pieter and his son Dave here.
