The ‘Janssen 61 – Stoombeurtvaarder’ was named after the company for which this ship sailed: the Stoombootonderneming H. Janssen. The ship mainly sailed between Venlo, Lith and Rotterdam. That also explains the ship’s beautiful, streamlined hull: it made it very suitable for navigating the Meuse upstream. After all, there could still be some current there.

The cargo consisted of general cargo: loose goods loaded and unloaded – literally – piece by piece. Passengers were also taken, but of these it is claimed that it was a trick to get to the locks earlier. The head office was located at the Maaskade in Venlo; a branch office was located at the Wijnhaven in Rotterdam.

The company began with steamships, later adding motor vessels and still later trucks. These operated a so-called rotating service: a fixed route that called at fixed locations to pick up and unload goods.