Girteka is facing another dispute with Norwegian institutions. This time, the Norwegian tax administration is pursuing about €4.2m. As the group notes in its 2025 report, the case covers the period 2018–2023 and concerns employer-paid social security contributions.
Norwegian authorities argue that one Girteka subsidiary may have applied the wrong contribution rate. The company denies any wrongdoing, insisting the contributions were calculated and paid in line with the applicable requirements.
We believe the contributions were calculated and paid in accordance with all requirements. The company carried out genuine operations in northern Norway and has provided evidence to support its activities, so we consider its position in the dispute to be well-founded – Girteka said in comments cited by tv3.lt, via the BNS news agency.
Girteka adds that in Norway, employer social security contribution rates depend, among other factors, on the region and where the business activity is carried out. At the same time, it notes that differences in rates do not affect the level of employees’ social protection benefits.
The group filed an appeal with Norway’s tax appeals board in October 2025. A decision, however, is expected to take time – potentially not before the end of 2027.
For the road transport sector, the case matters not only because of the size of the claim. Norway has long been a market where the interests of local hauliers, public authorities and Central and Eastern European operators involved in international transport and cabotage often collide.
Not Girteka’s first clash in Norway
The current tax dispute adds to a longer track record of challenges for Girteka in Norway. In 2022, the Lithuanian carrier was accused of carrying out illegal cabotage. The Norwegian case related to events from 2019 and 2020 and covered 11 instances in which the company was alleged to have breached the rules for such operations. The allegations included, among other things, swapping trucks during cabotage runs.
At the time, Girteka argued the proceedings should help clarify Norway’s approach to cabotage documentation. Company representative Simonas Bartkus said the operator wanted clear rules so it could continue providing transport services in the country in compliance with regulations.
Earlier, in late 2021, the Norwegian trade union newspaper Frifagbevegelse reported allegations concerning pay rates for drivers performing cabotage in Norway. The claims involved Girteka Logistics and RV Transport. The carriers denied any irregularities, and Norway’s labour inspectorate confirmed the companies had provided documentation on wages paid and did not open an investigation.
One driver quoted at the time claimed that workers carrying out such operations for Lithuanian carriers were paid about €70–€90 per working day. Following the publication, Postnord said it would review and tighten its requirements for carriers, while stressing that cabotage accounted for 3.7% of all its transport operations.
Smaller loss, lower revenue
The Norwegian dispute comes as Girteka works to improve its financial performance after a difficult period in Europe’s road transport market. In 2025, the group posted revenue of €1.31bn, down 9% compared with the previous year. Over the same period, its consolidated net loss narrowed from €28.9m in 2024 to €12.4m in 2025.
Girteka operates a fleet of around 6,500 tractor units. According to the Lithuanian group’s report, it has roughly 7,000 trailers, although in materials accompanying its financial results the company referred to around 8,000 trailers. Each year, the carrier handles about 800,000 full-truckload shipments across Europe.
