The transport market remains under considerable pressure. Despite subdued economic conditions, there is a shortage of thousands of truck drivers across Europe, while available transport capacity remains limited. To proactively address these challenges, the Ulm-based Noerpel Group has established its own fleet company in Lithuania. Founded in 2024, Noerpel Baltic UAB already employs around 75 permanent truck drivers and currently operates a fleet of 60 vehicles on international routes. By significantly expanding its own resources, the Noerpel Group is increasing the flexibility of its transport operations and helping to stabilise its customers’ supply chains.
The logistics industry continues to face structural challenges. In Germany alone, around 70,000 truck drivers are currently missing, and demographic trends are expected to exacerbate the shortage in the coming years. At the same time, freight capacity remains scarce, with several shipment requests often competing for a single available vehicle. 'As a transport and logistics provider, we face these challenges every day,' said Frank Irslinger, Member of the Executive Board of the Noerpel Group. 'Even a modest economic recovery would put further strain on limited transport capacity.'
To counteract this, the Noerpel Group is expanding its personnel and transport resources substantially through its Lithuanian fleet company. 'These additional, permanently available resources enable us to provide reliable transport solutions for our customers operating internationally,' added Frank Irslinger.
Attractive conditions in Lithuania
The Noerpel Group established its Lithuanian subsidiary, Noerpel Baltic UAB, in 2024. The company is based in Vilnius, the capital city. “Lithuania offers stable economic conditions, a business-friendly environment, and strong momentum within the logistics sector,” explained Frank Irslinger. 'We are extremely satisfied with the launch of our subsidiary. Expanding into Lithuania has proven to be the right strategic decision.”
The company currently employs around 75 permanent truck drivers, recruited in both Lithuania and neighbouring countries. The fleet currently consists of 60 trucks. ‘Our medium-term objective is to expand the Noerpel Baltic fleet to 100 vehicles,’ said Frank Irslinger. ‘All 29 Noerpel locations can utilise Noerpel Baltic resources and book dedicated transport services for operations throughout the European Union.’
Transparent Transport Operations
Transport operations are coordinated by the Noerpel team in Lithuania. They select the most suitable vehicles and drivers for each assignment and oversee the entire transport process. To ensure maximum transparency, all vehicles can be tracked via GPS at any time, providing continuous visibility of shipment statuses and supporting reliable supply chain management.
Noerpel Baltic vehicles and drivers are already supporting operations at the Ulm, Baienfurt, Kempten, Stuttgart, Teningen and Villingen-Schwenningen locations today. By providing additional capacity as needed, they help ensure reliable transport execution and greater operational resilience. “With Noerpel Baltic, we are strengthening supply chains and positioning our company for the future,” concluded Frank Irslinger.