Turf on track for the World Cup

2026 is all about international soccer: While the Men’s World Cup kicks off next week in North America, Poland is gearing up for the U-20 Women's World Cup in September. Long before the group stage matches kicked off at the Władysław Król Municipal Stadium in Łódź, a. hartrodt (Polska) organized the transport of turf over a distance of 680 kilometers from the Hamburg area within a week. “We needed 17 vehicles for 8,400 square meters of turf from rolls with a thickness of three centimeters and a weight of 400 tons”, reports Alina Kozłowska, Branch Manager of a. hartrodt’s road freight office in Szczecin. The project was time-sensitive, as natural turf quickly loses its quality and can easily suffer irreversible damage from overheating.

Transport during the cooler evening and nighttime hours 

“The turf had to be transported as quickly as possible, preferably during the cooler evening or nighttime hours, to prevent damage inside the enclosed trailers,” Alina Kozłowska explains. Mainly semi-trailers and three refrigerated trucks were used. “Loading usually took place in the late afternoon so that the fresh turf could be delivered to the stadium in the early morning hours,” she reports.

Coordinating drivers, unloading crews, and stadium staff 

“To meet the tight deadlines while working cost-effectively, we primarily used tautliner trailers,” says Alina Kozłowska. During transport, adequate ventilation and temperature control were essential to ensure the quality of the natural product. Even during short stops, the curtain sides were opened to prevent the turf from overheating. Two members of her operations team coordinated drivers, unloading crews, and stadium staff. To ensure a smooth process, travel times, loading windows, and delivery dates had to be precisely coordinated. Katarzyna Łochowicz from the project freight office in Szczecin maintained close contact with the customer.

Between now and September, the turf at the stadium in Łódź will have time to grow and become stable. The World Cup sets very high standards for playing surface quality. Meanwhile, a. hartrodt in Szczecin is preparing for a follow-up project this summer.