Driving and rest time
Plan the day's driving and rest time
Breaks, daily driving time, daily rest and weekly rest
Plan the trip before departure, so you know when to take breaks and rest — that is easier than sorting it out on the way with a tachograph ticking. All limits here are from EU Regulation 561/2006 and apply to vehicles over 3,500 kg.
Take stock of the week
Work out where you are in the week: how much driving time have you already used? Weekly driving time must not exceed 56 hours, and two consecutive weeks must not exceed 90 hours. Use the tachograph card as your starting point.
Weekly driving timemax. 56 tTwo weeksmax. 90 tSchedule the breaks (Art. 7)
After no more than 4½ hours of driving, you must take a break of at least 45 minutes — either in one go or split into 15 min + 30 min in that order (15 min always first). You must not drive during the break; loading counts as other work, not a break.
Driving before a breakmax. 4½ tBreakmin. 45 min (15+30)Keep to the daily driving time (Art. 6(1))
The daily driving time is no more than 9 hours, but may be increased to 10 hours no more than 2 times a week. Driving time is counted from the end of the daily rest until the next daily rest begins — even if you change vehicle along the way.
Daily driving time9 h (2× 10 h/week)Plan the daily rest (Art. 8(2))
Regular daily rest is at least 11 consecutive hours and can be split into 3 h + 9 h (in that order). Reduced daily rest is at least 9 hours and permitted no more than 3 times between two weekly rests — the reduction does not have to be compensated.
Regular daily restmin. 11 hReducedmin. 9 h (max. 3×)Schedule the weekly rest (Art. 8(6))
Regular weekly rest is at least 45 hours; reduced weekly rest is at least 24 hours, but the shortfall up to 45 hours must be compensated en bloc within 3 weeks. Weekly rest must begin no later than after 6 × 24-hour periods (144 hours).
Weekly restmin. 45 h (reduced 24 h)At the latest after6 × 24 hHandle multi-manning (Art. 8(5))
With multi-manning, each driver must have at least 9 hours of daily rest within a 30-hour window. Count each driver separately — both driver cards are inserted from the start of the journey.
Double-crewing9 h rest per 30 hMark the stops on the route plan
Enter the times of breaks and rest in the route plan, and allow a realistic margin for traffic, loading and unloading. Use the Discebo «Driving and rest time» calculator to count the statutory breaks for the day's driving.
The calculator is indicative — the tachograph's minute-by-minute recording and special cases are not included.
Source
Based on EU Regulation 561/2006, Art. 6–8, as cited in Discebo's driving and rest time article, template and calculator.