Lithuania-based Vlantana Logistics, one of the largest road-freight operators in the Baltic region, confirmed on 1 April that it will import up to 200 professional truck drivers from Brazil and neighbouring countries—with many expected eventually to operate out of the company’s Polish branch network. The recruitment campaign is being run with São Paulo-based M/BRAZIL Agency and includes support for visas, relocation flights and housing. Vlantana says the new hires should start arriving in Europe as early as July, once work-permit paperwork is cleared in Warsaw and Vilnius.
![Driver shortage pushes Polish and Lithuanian hauliers to recruit 200 truckers from South America]()
Companies navigating Poland’s immigration protocols don’t have to go it alone. VisaHQ’s dedicated Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) streamlines everything from work-permit applications to appointment scheduling and document translation, providing employers and drivers with real-time status updates and expert guidance. This end-to-end support can shave weeks off onboarding timelines and help prevent costly filing errors.
The initiative highlights the scale of Central Europe’s driver deficit. According to the Polish Transport & Logistics Association (TLP), the country entered 2026 with a shortage of roughly 110 000 heavy-goods-vehicle (HGV) drivers—about 20 % of total demand. Demographics (an ageing domestic workforce), tougher EU-wide tachograph rules and the reluctance of young Poles to accept long weeks on the road have all contributed to persistent understaffing. For years carriers filled the gap with drivers from Ukraine and Belarus, but war-time conscription and tighter security vetting have shrunk that pool. South American recruits represent a new frontier. Brazilian HGV licences are broadly compatible with EU Category C+E requirements, and candidate drivers often possess experience on challenging trans-continental routes. Nevertheless, language barriers, EU road-safety standards and Posting of Drivers compliance create onboarding headaches. Vlantana says it will run intensive Polish-language courses in Gdynia and Kaunas and has applied for collective residence permits under Poland’s Article 87a fast-track pathway for “workers of particular importance to the economy.” For Polish shippers the influx could stabilise capacity and prevent spot-rate spikes during the pre-Christmas rush, but labour unions complain that bringing workers from 10 000 km away amounts to social dumping. The National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) reminds employers that third-country drivers must receive at least the sectoral minimum of PLN 28 per hour plus European travel allowances. Failure to comply can trigger fines up to PLN 30 000 per offence. Practical tip: companies considering similar schemes should budget a minimum of €6 000 per driver for legalisation, training and relocation and allow 10–12 weeks for work-permit processing. They should also watch the EU’s ongoing revision of the Single-Permit Directive, which may shorten—or complicate—future recruitment cycles.
Companies navigating Poland’s immigration protocols don’t have to go it alone. VisaHQ’s dedicated Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) streamlines everything from work-permit applications to appointment scheduling and document translation, providing employers and drivers with real-time status updates and expert guidance. This end-to-end support can shave weeks off onboarding timelines and help prevent costly filing errors.
The initiative highlights the scale of Central Europe’s driver deficit. According to the Polish Transport & Logistics Association (TLP), the country entered 2026 with a shortage of roughly 110 000 heavy-goods-vehicle (HGV) drivers—about 20 % of total demand. Demographics (an ageing domestic workforce), tougher EU-wide tachograph rules and the reluctance of young Poles to accept long weeks on the road have all contributed to persistent understaffing. For years carriers filled the gap with drivers from Ukraine and Belarus, but war-time conscription and tighter security vetting have shrunk that pool. South American recruits represent a new frontier. Brazilian HGV licences are broadly compatible with EU Category C+E requirements, and candidate drivers often possess experience on challenging trans-continental routes. Nevertheless, language barriers, EU road-safety standards and Posting of Drivers compliance create onboarding headaches. Vlantana says it will run intensive Polish-language courses in Gdynia and Kaunas and has applied for collective residence permits under Poland’s Article 87a fast-track pathway for “workers of particular importance to the economy.” For Polish shippers the influx could stabilise capacity and prevent spot-rate spikes during the pre-Christmas rush, but labour unions complain that bringing workers from 10 000 km away amounts to social dumping. The National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) reminds employers that third-country drivers must receive at least the sectoral minimum of PLN 28 per hour plus European travel allowances. Failure to comply can trigger fines up to PLN 30 000 per offence. Practical tip: companies considering similar schemes should budget a minimum of €6 000 per driver for legalisation, training and relocation and allow 10–12 weeks for work-permit processing. They should also watch the EU’s ongoing revision of the Single-Permit Directive, which may shorten—or complicate—future recruitment cycles.
