What are the legal driving and rest times for drivers?
Driving and rest times are set by Regulation (EC) 561/2006 and are checked from the tachograph. Exceeding them brings roadside fines and risk points for the company. Below are the rules in the short form you can hand straight to the dispatcher.
Short answer
- You drive at most 9 hours a day, with the option of 10 hours no more than twice a week.
- After 4 hours 30 minutes of driving you take a break of at least 45 minutes, which may be split into 15 plus 30 minutes.
- The normal daily rest is at least 11 hours and may be reduced to 9 hours no more than three times between two weekly rests.
- The normal weekly rest is 45 hours; a reduced one, of at least 24 hours, must be compensated later.
- Driving cannot exceed 56 hours in a week and 90 hours over two consecutive weeks.
The limits, in brief
Driving and rest times under Regulation (EC) 561/2006
| Period | Normal limit | Permitted exception |
|---|---|---|
| Daily driving | 9 hours | 10 hours, at most twice a week |
| Uninterrupted driving | 4 hours 30 minutes | A 45-minute break, splittable into 15 plus 30 |
| Daily rest | 11 hours | 9 hours, at most three times between two weekly rests |
| Weekly rest | 45 hours | 24 hours, with later compensation |
Practical example
Example: a driver leaves Arad at 6:00. At 10:30 a 45-minute break is mandatory. He can drive another 4 hours 30 minutes, reaching 9 hours of driving around 16:00, breaks included. If the shift needs more, the dispatcher must plan the 10-hour day, available only twice a week.
Common mistakes
- Planning the trip on distance and average speed, without putting the mandatory breaks into the ETA.
- Confusing driving time with working time: loading and unloading are counted separately.
- Using a third 10-hour day in the same week in which two have already been used.
- Forgetting to compensate a reduced weekly rest, which must happen within the deadline set by the regulation.
- Downloading the tachograph card too rarely and finding out about breaches only at the inspection.
How 4transports helps
- 4transports does not compute driving times or read the tachograph: you plan the trip with the date and distance you enter.
- You see each driver's status (available or on a trip) before assigning another trip.
- The licence and professional certificate expiry sit in each driver's record.
- The planned date and delivery date on every trip feed the on-time delivery rate in the report.