The Lithuanian transport and logistics company Girteka Group has chosen Poland as the focal point of its expansion. The announcement came from Angel Kalinov, head of the freight forwarding division, during a press conference in Warsaw on 30 September, where he detailed growth targets ranging from strengthening forwarding services to expanding the Sady base near Poznań, supported by a record €173 million financing package.
The decision to concentrate investment in Poland is driven by a market context deemed highly favourable. Poland’s road transport sector is one of the largest in Europe, accounting for more than 20% of continental traffic. The country’s business landscape, dominated by small and medium-sized operators with an average of 14 vehicles per company, provides Girteka with an ideal environment to build partnerships and enhance its forwarding services.
Kalinov explained that the company’s goal is to increase the share of forwarding services from less than 5% to 25% of total full-truckload operations. Achieving this fivefold rise would position Warsaw as a transport competence hub, with the local team expected to grow from 15 to around 100 employees over the next five years. The Polish capital’s office already hosts specialists in forwarding, sales, customer service and digital development, with a focus on adopting advanced technological tools.
The second pillar of the strategy is the operational base in Poznań, which currently manages 3,000 vehicles per month and can handle up to 4,000 trucks simultaneously. The facility employs 300 staff and coordinates more than 8,200 drivers and 450 mechanics. It also houses the Drivers’ Academy, which trains around 4,000 drivers a year through two-to-six-week programmes comprising 60 hours of sessions, developed internally and centred on safety and accident prevention. Dmitrij Voitkevič, head of operations in Poland, stressed the importance of integrating innovative technologies and sustainable practices into the base’s activities.
A cornerstone of Girteka’s Polish strategy is collaboration with local carriers. Despite owning a fleet of 13,000 vehicles, the company does not seek to compete directly but rather to reinforce a network of partnerships that already includes 5,000 subcontractors, with 100–150 new entrants every month. To support this network, the company has developed the digital Girteka Partners Portal, launched in 2024 and now enhanced with artificial intelligence solutions to simplify access to high-volume routes and loads.
The expansion plan is underpinned by the €173 million financing agreement signed with OP Corporate Bank in August 2025, aimed at acquiring up to 8,000 trucks and trailers between 2025 and 2026. The fleet, mainly consisting of Volvo and Scania vehicles with an average age of less than two years, is also benefitting from further investment in low-emission solutions, including electric trucks, HVO fuel and photovoltaic installations on 1,000 trailers.
The move into Poland forms part of a wider strategy to consolidate Girteka’s European logistics network. With existing offices in Vilnius and Tbilisi, the Warsaw branch broadens geographical coverage and ensures direct connections with major continental hubs. Combining its own fleet, subcontractors and digitalised processes, Girteka manages around 9,500 loads per week on key routes linking Germany, the Benelux, France, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia.
