Custom transport solutions

Helge R. Olsen’s son, Erik Helge Olsen, worked for the company during school holidays and in his spare time until he was offered a permanent position in 1961. He then began operating transport routes between Norway and Germany and secured a contract with Norsk Hydro’s plant in Notodden.

Deliveries were made to what was then West Germany, a demanding task at the time. However, establishing return cargo from Germany back to Norway proved easier over time. Transport using specialised vehicles, including tipper trucks and trailers, gradually developed into a key part of the company’s operations.

In 1965, the company began transporting truck chassis for Norsk Scania. At the time, shipments ran from Veisporet, operated by NSB, in Oslo to Scania’s transit warehouse at Brekke, also in Oslo.

In 1969, Helge Reidar Olsen built the first dedicated chassis truck and trailer at the company’s own workshop in Skiensgata, Oslo. This marked the start of direct transport from Scania’s factory in Södertälje. The freight forwarding department in Oslo was established at the same time, based on the clear principle that we should handle customs clearance for the goods we transported ourselves. All customs procedures were therefore managed internally by HRO.

Today, approximately 7,000 new truck chassis are transported annually from factories operated by Scania, MAN, Volvo and Renault Trucks, primarily to customers in Norway, Sweden and Finland.

In 2002, HRO established operations at Hensmoen in Hønefoss, which quickly developed into a key part of the company. Today, both our transport and logistics divisions are based at Hensmoen, along with the bonded warehouse operated on behalf of Forsvarets Logistikkavdeling at Eggemoen.

In the spring of 2010, a dedicated customs department was established in Halden. This was the result of a collaboration with Nortrail Transport GmbH, and the office was located close to the Svinesund border crossing.

The department primarily provides customs clearance services to external clients.

After several years of cooperation, Helge R. Olsen & Sønn AS and terra Handels- und Speditionsgesellschaft mbH entered into a formal partnership on 1 January 2011, establishing Olsen & Terra Transport Scandinavia AS. This marked the creation of OTT.

OTT specialised in chassis and bus transport and handled more than 10,000 chassis deliveries annually. The partnership was concluded in 2019.

In the autumn of 2012, our building at Alnabru was sold, and we now lease office space on the third floor.

This location serves as our head office and is home to the Managing Director, security advisor, HR, finance, as well as the freight forwarding department in Oslo and OTT.

In 2016, the company marked 80 years of continuous operations.

Later that autumn, a newly constructed office building was completed in Hønefoss. This finally brought the warehouse and transport departments together under one roof, a long anticipated milestone for the organisation.

We are represented at the newly opened Svinesund Transportsenter with our own customs department. Located close to Svinesund customs, the E6 and direct routes into Europe, it offers an ideal base for cross border operations.

Svinesund Transportsenter is designed as a dedicated service hub for drivers and transport operators. It provides easy access to customs support and warehousing services, along with practical facilities tailored to drivers’ needs.

In the autumn of 2017, we took over the operations of Oslo Transport & Spedisjon AS (Otrans). The company’s history dates back to 1928 and it specialises in the transport of ATMs, safes and large scale commercial kitchen equipment.

The former head office at Alnabru was closed, and the Helge R. Olsen & Sønn AS landmark signage was removed from the building. From that point on, the company focused its operations on its locations in Hønefoss and Halden. The building was demolished in 2025.

85-årsjubileet firmaet skulle ha markert ble erstattet av en pandemihverdag med streng grensekontroll, munnbind og håndsprit, og kollegaer plassert på hjemmekontor der det lot seg gjøre.

Dette året ble også tankavdelingen sterkt redusert, og på sikt vil denne avdelingen avvikles helt.

Videre fisjonerte vi ut spedisjonsavdelingen i Halden, og Helge R. Olsen Spedisjon AS ble stiftet 11.10.2021.

HRO Servicesystemer AS was established following the acquisition of Norske Servicesystemer AS in February 2025, marking the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the company’s history.

HRO Servicesystemer AS brings more than 35 years of experience in the import, distribution, sales and marketing of products for babies and children, toys, selected products for pets, as well as items for adults. The company’s ambition is to deliver high quality products that customers can rely on.

The product range is available through specialist retailers, pharmacies and children’s and toy stores nationwide, as well as through the company’s own online store. In addition, several products are supplied to kindergartens, hospitals and health clinics.