Lithuania's Girteka shifts part of operations to Latvia and Romania
Girteka Group, Lithuania's largest freight and logistics company, is moving part of its operations to Riga, Latvia, and Oradea, Romania, by setting up local subsidiaries there. The move is driven mainly by a persistent shortage of truck drivers across Europe.
Girteka Group, Lithuania's largest freight transport and logistics company, is relocating part of its transport operations to Latvia and Romania, establishing local companies in Riga and the Romanian city of Oradea, according to the business daily Verslo Žinios.
The company said the shift reflects efforts to adjust its European operating model to changing labour market conditions and an ongoing shortage of truck drivers. Girteka told the publication that the decision was not driven by any single regulatory or tax difference, but rather by an assessment of the overall business environment — with securing enough drivers for its fleet and customers currently among the most important factors.
The company has already registered nearly 100 trucks in Latvia and is preparing to register vehicles and hire its first drivers in Romania.
Operations across Europe
Girteka also operates in Germany, Poland, Denmark and Norway, carrying out about 800,000 freight transport operations a year for more than 5,000 customers across the continent. In Poland, where the group expanded ahead of new European Union Mobility Package requirements, it runs about 3,000 trucks.
Driver shortage remains a challenge
Driver availability continues to be one of the biggest problems facing Europe's road transport sector. The International Road Transport Union estimated that Europe faced a shortage of about 502,000 truck drivers in 2025, roughly 13% of the workforce the industry needs.
