Trans.INFO attended the company’s press conference in Warsaw today, which provided detailed insight into Girteka’s plans in Poland.
Why Poland?
The choice of Poland as a strategic market is no coincidence. The company points out that Poland offers a more favourable environment for forwarding activities than Lithuania, largely due to the high number of small and medium-sized carriers (averaging 14 vehicles each), which creates a natural setting for the development of a subcontractor network.
Warsaw was selected as the operational centre for forwarding because of the availability of skilled professionals, the management team’s experience, and extensive industry connections. Proximity to clients and the time-zone advantage over Lithuania further supported the decision.
The Warsaw team currently numbers 15, but Girteka plans to expand this to around 100 employees. While forwarding activities are centralised in the capital, the company does not rule out opening a second location in the future to balance carrier relations and avoid excessive concentration of processes in one place.
“Warsaw is our gateway to growth, where we are building a strong forwarding and business leadership team. Highly qualified logistics professionals and a fragmented market with specialised carriers make ideal partners for us in providing forwarding services and achieving our goals,” said Angel Kalinov, Girteka’s Director of Forwarding.
Two pillars of operations in Poland
Responding to growing demand for flexible transport services, Girteka has announced the development of two key operational pillars in Poland: the newly established forwarding division in Warsaw and the expanding transport base in Poznań.
Currently, forwarding accounts for less than 5% of Girteka’s annual full truck load (FTL) volumes. The target is to increase this share to 25%
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Poznań – an operational base
The second pillar is the operational base in Poznań, which services around 3,000 vehicles per month and employs 300 people. Approximately 100 vehicles are prepared here each month for sale or rotation. Fleet management is built on Lean Management principles and supported by IT tools.
“Our goal is to strengthen the position of a modern, resilient and future-oriented transport base that focuses on integrating innovative technologies, developing team competences and embedding sustainable practices,” underlined Dmitrij Voitkevich, Director of Transport Operations in Poland.
Through the Girteka Leadership Academy in Poznań, around 4,000 drivers are trained annually. Courses last between two and six weeks and include around 60 hours of instruction. Training programmes are developed in-house and delivered by a team of 12 instructors – all former professional drivers, some with extreme driving experience. The company places strong emphasis on accident prevention and provides retraining after road incidents.
Partnership, not competition
Although Girteka operates a large fleet of its own, the company stresses that it does not intend to compete with carriers but rather to build partnerships. At present, it works with around 5,000 subcontractors, with 100–150 new companies joining the network every month. Key requirements include continuous access to GPS data and a ban on subcontracting further down the chain.
The operator manages around 9,500 loads per week, mainly from Poland to Germany, the Benelux countries, France, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia. Its offer to carriers includes a quick payment programme, which provides an attractive alternative to the standard 30-day terms.
Fleet and innovation
Girteka’s fleet currently consists of 13,000 vehicles (7,000 trailers and 6,000 tractors), predominantly Volvo and Scania models. The average fleet age is less than two years. The company is trialling electric vehicles and HVO fuel, though representatives note that the development of “green” infrastructure in Poland still presents certain limitations. Nevertheless, the company is investing in solar energy, with a project under way to fit 1,000 trailers with panels.
Earlier this year, Girteka secured €173 million in financing from OP Corporate Bank to support fleet expansion. In 2025–2026, the company plans to purchase up to 8,000 trucks and trailers.
Conclusions
Girteka’s strategy in Poland underlines the country’s importance for the company’s long-term development. Warsaw is set to serve as the competence centre for forwarding, while Poznań becomes the heart of transport operations. By striking the right balance between its own fleet and subcontractor partnerships, Girteka aims to manage the challenges of the European road transport market effectively.
