Truckers who work in the territories of the European Union are required to take into account the regime of work and rest: drivers in Europe are severely punished for non-compliance with these rules. They are explained in detail in Regulation of the European Parliament No. 561 of 2006.
Consequences of violations and non-compliance with AETR norms
If the rules of the Directive are not followed and the owner of the vehicle violates the mode of operation of a long-distance driver on a tachograph, fines are applied in Europe. Sanctions depend on the severity of the violation and some other features.
For example, if a truck driver reduces the break time by 10 minutes, in Germany he will be fined 30 euros, and the owner of the car – 90 euros. If the break was ended prematurely, 15 minutes earlier or more, the amount of the fine increases to 60 and 180 euros respectively.
If the driver of the vehicle does not have the specified amount with him, his car can be seized indefinitely. After paying all fines, the car can be returned.
How long can you drive a vehicle
According to the Regulation, long-haul drivers in the EU can work for one full week no more than 56 hours. At the same time, within one day, driving is allowed for 9 hours, with the possibility of extending this time to a maximum of 10 hours.
You can extend the working time only twice in the interval from 00:00 from the beginning of the week to 24:00 of its end. Please note that truckers are allowed to work all week, however, if the driver spends 9 hours every day on trips, and 10 hours in the last two days, one day should be a full day off. This fact is due to another paragraph of the Directive – “Weekly rest period”.
Otherwise, it would be a violation of the rule on the maximum possible working time per week, which is 56 hours. This entails punishment in the form of fines and other types of sanctions provided by the relevant authorities.
Opening hours every two weeks
According to the mentioned EU Directive, the maximum allowable amount of time that can be spent driving a motor vehicle should not exceed 90 hours for 14 consecutive days.
This means that if you worked 56 hours in the first week, you must work no more than 34 hours over the next seven days. Otherwise, the total time will exceed 90 hours and you will receive a penalty.
Mandatory Break
A long-distance driver in the EU can only drive a vehicle for four hours and thirty minutes. After that, it is imperative to take a break. Its duration is 45 minutes or more.
The mode of work of an international driver for the duration of the break prohibits him from driving, as well as any other type of work activity: loading or unloading, washing the car, and so on.
Each 45-minute break conditionally consists of two parts:
- the first should last for 15 minutes;
- the second part of the rest is a full 30 minutes.
daily rest
In EU Directive No. 561 there is a clause – “Regular rest period”. According to the rules described in it, for one day a truck driver must rest for 11 hours.
As in the case of a working break, rest can be carried out separately:
- from 3 hours;
- up to 9 o’clock.
It is also possible to reduce the rest mode: it will last not 11, but 9 hours. Within seven consecutive days of such reduced rest regimens, it is permissible to do no more than 3 pieces.
If several drivers are involved, each of them should rest for 30 hours of work. According to the main provisions of the Directive – from 9 hours. At the same time, it is impossible to divide the rest time into parts, take breaks too, and any work will be prohibited.
Weekly rest
The mode of work and rest of an international driver obliges him to take a rest for 45 hours. Breaks for any kind of activity related to the work process are not allowed. Such a rest is mandatory: every driver in the EU is obliged to do it at least once within seven consecutive days.
This period can be reduced to a minimum of 24 hours of uninterrupted rest. You can start your vacation at any time, but no later than after 6 full days.
Breaking the rules
Any violations of the regime of work and rest are considered acceptable if the truck driver has good reasons for it. These include force majeure situations, including:
- the emergence of a threat to road safety;
- the need to get to the car park for reasons that do not allow to postpone this action;
- to ensure the safety of the cargo, regardless of the reason, if the driver has objective arguments and explanations for the situation.
In any situation where there have been violations of the Regulations, the driver of the vehicle undertakes:
- to arrive at the designated place, to the car park or complete the trip in any other way;
- indicate the reason for the violation of the regime, if it can be classified as significant;
- indicate this reason on the registration sheet, on the disk with the diagram, as well as on the printout from the tachograph – it is obligatory in all three places.
Features of using a tachograph while driving
A tachograph is a measuring device used to record various data about the movement of vehicles, as well as to track driving and break modes. This device contains all the data specified by the drivers and places them on the personal Driver Card.
This device is the main indicator of how far the truck driver adheres to the mode of work and rest. Any police representative can read the information on the tachograph and make a printout from it.
According to the EU Directive, all drivers are obliged to use the control device correctly, preventing it from breaking or replacing and repairing it if necessary. As well as changing the modes of its operation in accordance with the requirements of the Directive of the European Union No. 561.
Before starting work, the driver should place the personal Driver Card in the “First Slot” of the tachograph. The mode of operation of 2 drivers in Europe means that if there are two people in the crew, the second driver also needs to place the card in the device, but in the “Second slot”.
To activate a personal Driver Card, enter the pin code in the device. Please note that the card must not be placed near objects that emit a strong electromagnetic field. This is equated to the deliberate destruction of the tachograph and entails severe punishment.
Driver mode in Europe and its features
If you drive at night, this issue is also explained in detail in the relevant European Union Directive.
If the driver is a long-haul carrier, he must explain to the passengers all the provisions of this Regulation.
The calculation of working time and rest is carried out identically to one driver, but if there are 2 or more people in the crew, it is necessary to purchase a tachograph with two pucks or cards.
If one driver works, then the other also counts the working hours on the tachograph. At the same time, the second driver cannot drive, but he is allowed to do any other business that is in no way related to the work procedure.
If drivers change places, then the washers in the tachograph should also be changed – depending on which crew member is driving at that particular moment in time.
Mandatory documents for working as a truck driver in Europe
The driver first needs to collect a general package of documents:
A valid passport
International driving license category “C”, “E” or “CE” – valid for at least 12 months in the last 2 years. The data in the passport must match the data in the rights.