EU rules for working in road transport

As a transportation driver you must follow certain EU rules on driving times, rest times, and how to register them. These rules apply if you drive a heavy goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, or a bus or coach with 10 or more seats (including the driver). You must follow these rules if you are driving long-haul or making deliveries domestically or abroad, regardless of where your vehicle is registered, and whether you are self-employed or an employee.

The EU rules on driving times do not apply to all types of transport. Read the exceptions below.

The EU rules on driving times do not apply to:

  • regular passenger services on routes up to 50 kilometres
  • most vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes to carry materials, equipment etc. for the driver’s professional use within 100 km of their base
  • vehicles with a maximum authorised speed of 40 km/h
  • army, civil defence and fire services
  • roadside assistance vehicles within 100 km of their station
  • specialised vehicles used for humanitarian aid, emergencies, rescue operations, or medical purposes
  • vehicles used by the forces maintaining public order
  • vehicles undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, and new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service
  • vehicles or combinations up to 7.5 tonnes for the non-commercial carriage of goods
  • commercial vehicles with a legal historic status in the EU country where they are being driven, if used for the non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods
  • vehicles or combinations between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes to transport goods on the company’s or driver’s own account (if driving is not the main activity)
  • in some EU countries there are also national exceptions

Sample story

Transporting heavy equipment and products as a craftsman

Matthias runs a tree nursery and gardening firm in Germany. He is known for his large trees. To deliver and plant them, he carries the trees and an excavator on a truck and trailer often exceeding 3.5 tonnes. But because the combination is still under 7.5 tonnes and Matthias only drives it to his own clients who are within a 100 km radius from his nursery, the EU driving time rules do not apply to him.

Not just in EU countries

Professional drivers have to follow these rules in all EU countries, as well as in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. Outside this area in most European and some Central-Asian countries drivers must follow the rules of the European agreement on drivers in international road transport PDF , known as AETR. Most AETR rules are aligned to the EU rules, but there are some exceptions.

The AETR is different from the EU rules on:

  • the exemption for vehicles carrying craft goods
  • returning to your company or your place of residence
  • the possibility to take two consecutive reduced weekly rests
  • the interruption of weekly rest periods

How long can I drive?

You can drive:

  • 9 hours per day (and twice a week up to 10 hours per day)
  • 56 hours per week (maximum 90 hours per two weeks)
  • exceptionally one hour longer to reach your home or company when you start a weekly rest period (or two hours more to start a regular weekly rest period)

Remember that working time includes all road transport activities, such as:

  • driving
  • loading and unloading
  • assisting passengers in getting on and off the vehicle
  • cleaning and technical maintenance
  • monitoring of loading and unloading of goods
  • administrative formalities

If you are a self-employed driver, any time you are required to be at your workstation/vehicle, at the disposal of the client or undertaking transport activities is also considered as working time.

How long should I rest?

You must take a break or rest at least:

  • 45 minutes for every 4 hours and 30 minutes of driving time (which may be taken as two breaks of 15 and 30 minutes)
  • 11 hours of rest for every 24 hours of service, which may be split into two rest periods (of first 3 and then 9 hours for a total of 12 hours), or a reduced period of 9 hours at most 3 times between any two weekly rest periods
  • 45 continuous hours of rest after 6 days of driving, and at least 24 hours every second week (if compensated, before the end of the third week, by an equivalent single rest period added to another rest period of at least 9 hours)

Warning

Exceptionally you can work up to 60 hours per week but on average you cannot work more than 48 hours a week over a 4-month period.

Sample story

Driving your vehicle onto a ferry or train during your rest period

After a long journey to Greece and back, Jack planned to start his regular weekly rest aboard the ferry to Ireland. But in Cherbourg the ferry is 4 hours late. No problem: he can start his weekly rest anyway, after 4 hours he can drive his combination onto the ferry and on arrival in Dublin (some 19 hours later) he can roll off the ferry and have his last 22 hours of rest there. It is permitted to interrupt a regular daily or reduced weekly rest period twice, for 1 hour in total, to take a ferry or train, provided the driver has a sleeper cabin, bunk or couchette. Similarly a regular weekly rest can be interrupted provided that the journey is scheduled for at least 8 hours and the driver has a sleeper cabin.

At least once every 4 weeks you must return to the place where your employer is located or the place where you live and have a regular weekly rest period (or longer rest period to compensate for a reduced rest period) there.

Warning

If you are two or more drivers (known as multi-manning), you can take your daily rest within a period of 30 hours (instead of 24 hours), and you can take 45-minute breaks (every 4 hours and 30 minutes) in the vehicle.

For these exceptions to apply, two or more drivers must be present from the second hour.

What is a regular weekly rest period?

You are entitled to an uninterrupted regular weekly rest period of at least 45 hours. You cannot spend this time in the vehicle. You must have access to suitable gender-friendly accommodation with adequate sleeping and sanitary facilities. Your weekly rest period can be reduced once every two weeks, but it can never be less than 24 hours. Any reduction must be compensated for by an equivalent single period of rest, added to another rest period of at least 9 hours before the end of the third following week.

In international transport of goods you may take two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods abroad, but only if:

  • in any four consecutive weeks you take at least four weekly rest periods, and
  • at least two of these four periods are regular weekly rest periods, and
  • you can go home - or to the place where your employer is located - in the following week to start the regular weekly rest period of more than 45 hours in compensation

What about coach trips abroad?

If you carry passengers on a trip abroad and your service lasts more than 24 consecutive hours, you can work up to 12 consecutive days, provided you just had 45 hours of regular weekly rest before your trip, and you take two weekly rest periods back to back when you return (at least 69 hours). This “12 day rule” only applies if you have a digital or smart tachograph on board. Between 22.00 and 06.00 you need a second driver, or you must take a 45 minute break every 3 hours, not 4.5 hours.

Always use the tachograph

If the driving time rules apply to you, you must register every trip with your tachograph. Your employer has to keep the records for at least a year and you can get a copy upon request. The authorities can check your tachograph anytime and anywhere at the roadside or on the company’s premises.

Warning

If you fail to correctly register your driving times, countries can impose penalties or start legal proceedings against you. In that case you will get evidence in writing which you have to keep on board.

Is your driving licence valid?

A driving licence issued in one EU country is recognised and accepted in all other EU countries. This applies both to standardised EU licences and “old-style” licences issued before 2013.

Warning

Please be aware that there may be exceptions in the case of temporary driving licences. The authorities in your country of residence may issue a temporary or replacement permit if, for example, your application to exchange or renew your old or existing licence is expected to take some time. Not all other countries recognise these temporary permits.

Please check the rules for driving licence recognition and exchange in the relevant country and make sure you have a valid licence when you cross European borders for work.

Are you a posted driver?

If for limited periods of time you work as a driver in EU countries outside the EU country where your employer is established, you are a posted driver.

  • cabotage: domestic transport in another EU country (not the country where your employer is established)
  • cross-trade: transport between two countries but outside the EU country where your employer is established
  • unladen journeys in connection with cabotage or cross-trade transport
  • any part that is cabotage or cross-trade in combined transport operations

As a posted driver, specific rules apply to you in terms of administrative requirements and the wage you’re entitled to.

  • bilateral operations that go abroad but start or end in the country where you employer is established
  • limited additional loading/unloading in countries that you cross on a bilateral operation
  • transit, that is crossing countries without any loading/unloading
  • unladen journeys in connection with bilateral operations
  • any part that is bilateral transport in combined transport operations

Administrative obligations during the posting

In case of a roadside check, you must be able to present:

  • a copy of the posting declaration (electronic or paper version)
  • evidence of the transport operation(s) taking place in the host EU country (e.g. consignment note)
  • tachograph records

Your employer has to make sure that you have the necessary documents at your disposal. Read more general information about posted workers.

What is the minimum wage for posted drivers?

Your employer must make sure that your wage is in line with the national rules for drivers in the EU country that you have been posted to. This means they must adjust your pay if wages are higher in the country where you are posted. Wages are different in each EU country as they depend on national legislation. Get access to national information below.

* Information not yet available.

More information

See also

EU legislation

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Last checked: 15/11/2024
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