HOW MANY NINE-HOUR REST PERIODS CAN A DRIVER DO WEEKLY?

That question seems to be easy  and for many from the transport industry simply trivial, and the answer seems obvious. Nevertheless during conversations with drivers or freight forwarders this question is most common. Most of them immediately add that they know that it’s three times a week but they just want to make sure.

What is my answer?

My answer is always the same:

Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 3820/85 of 15 March 2006 ( Dz.Urz. UE.L 2006 Nr102) says that „driver is allowed to take up to three reduced daily rest periods between two weekly rest periods”.

At this point the conversation could end but…well there is always a „but”, and by fulfilling one condition driver can take more than three 9h break without sanctions.

How is it possible?

Wir organisieren jeden

Transport innerhalb von 45 Minuten

Oder schneller

Unser Mitarbeiter wird schnell ein konkretes Angebot erstellen und nach dessen Zusage persönlich dafür sorgen, dass dir Lieferung termingerecht stattfindet.

Unerwartete Aufträge überraschen uns nicht, weil wir gut vorbereitet sind.

Let me start by reminding what daily rest is, how to do it properly,  and when can we talk about reduced daily rest.

According to the definition contained in the art. 4 let. g, above ordinance „daily rest period” means daily period during which the driver may freely dispose of his time and includes a „regular daily rest period” or „reduced daily rest period”.

How to do it in a right way?

In each 24 hour period after the end of the previous daily rest period or weekly rest period, driver has to take next daily rest period. We have to remember that the rest must be within 24 hours. The 24-hour period begins with the first registered driver’s acitvity.

We already know what day rest is, what are its types and how to take it correctly. Let’s go back to definition, to be exact to definition of „regular daily rest period” which means uninterrupted rest lasting at least 11 hours. However not everyone knows that, alternatively, a regular daily rest period can be split in two parts, first of which must last at least 3 hours and second one at least 9 hours.

That’s how we get to the bottom. If we plan smart between two weekly rests, shortened rests and regular rest and split rests it allows the driver to take 9h rest more that three times.

Aleksandra Okonowska

Road transport expert.  A graduate of the Faculty of Management at the University of Gdańsk and Payroll and Human Resources at the University of Banking in Gdańsk.
Inspector of Road Transport since 2006. Until 2013, she worked as a Inspector of Road Transport at the Provincial Road Transport Inspectorate in Gdańsk. A specialist in driving time and company control. Speaker of trainings in the field of driving time, rest periods.  Since 2014 he runs his own transport consultancy company – Główny Informator Transportu Drogowego (Main Road Transport Informat).

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