Lithuania's Transport Sector Braces for Major Changes with Digitalization Push

Lithuania's transport sector is on the cusp of one of its most significant transformations in a decade, driven by upcoming changes that will phase out paper documents and modernize the industry. While businesses await improved data exchange with the public sector, these changes are expected to provide a major impetus for modernization.

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If a company could see fuel prices, road tolls, driver waiting times, client contract terms, cargo delay risks, and document status in one place, it could better decide which orders to accept, which routes to choose, where to negotiate prices, and where a client is becoming unprofitable.

Rugilė Andziukevičiūtė-Buzė, head of the Transport Innovation Association (TIA), points out that data managed by Lithuanian logistics companies often remains scattered in accounting departments, email inboxes, or Excel spreadsheets. This fragmentation prevents the industry from fully leveraging its potential through integrated planning and decision-making. "If a company could see fuel prices, road tolls, driver waiting times, client contract terms, cargo delay risks, and document status in one place, it could better decide which orders to accept, which routes to choose, where to negotiate prices, and where a client is becoming unprofitable," she explained.

Osvaldas Švitra, CEO of the cargoGO Group, agrees that the key in the transport business is not just having data, but having the right data at the right time and the ability to consolidate it into a comprehensive operational view. He emphasizes that data should facilitate decisions, not just generate reports. "The greatest value arises when this data is not in separate files or systems but becomes a single management tool. Then, a manager or team sees not only what happened yesterday but also where risks may arise tomorrow," Švitra stated.

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The greatest value arises when this data is not in separate files or systems but becomes a single management tool. Then, a manager or team sees not only what happened yesterday but also where risks may arise tomorrow.

However, a significant challenge remains the lack of real-time data. Švitra notes that transport companies still struggle to access timely information on loading and unloading readiness, waiting times, terminal and warehouse loads, and border or control point situations. "The problem is not just within companies. A carrier might be highly digitized, but if the client, warehouse, forwarder, or institution operates differently, the chain still gets stuck. The sector needs not another separate system, but common data standards and better integration between business and the public sector," he concluded.

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The problem is not just within companies. A carrier might be highly digitized, but if the client, warehouse, forwarder, or institution operates differently, the chain still gets stuck. The sector needs not another separate system, but common data standards and better integration between business and the public sector.