Truck driving and rest periods — All information about it

Truck drivers and other professional drivers must comply with strict driving and rest periods. This is particularly true because of safety on motorways and federal roads; after all, tired or overworked drivers pose a risk to themselves and other road users. In Germany in particular, certain deadlines must be met due to legal regulations. Everything you need to know about driving and rest periods can be found in this article.

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What are the driving and rest periods? - The definitions

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Driving and rest periods are defined as the legal periods during which the driver is allowed to drive the truck or during which he must take a break to recover.

But anyone who thinks that truck driving time only differentiates between driving time and rest time is wrong. In addition to driving and rest time, there are other terms that should be familiar to you as a truck driver. But more about that in a moment. You can probably already imagine driving time or rest time. However, for the sake of completeness, we will also address these points in more detail.

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Driving times

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Driving time is the length of time in which the driver is allowed to steer the truck. In other words, the time in which the truck driver actually drives the truck. Driving time also includes short stops, such as waiting at a red light, at a railroad crossing or waiting times at the border. As soon as the driver takes a break of more than 15 minutes or leaves the driver's cab, this is no longer considered driving or standing time. In Germany, the legal driving time is nine hours. However, this may be increased twice a week to a maximum of ten hours.

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rest periods

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The rest period is the time that the truck driver has freely available. This should not only be used as a break between driving hours, but much more as a recovery from working hours. During the rest period, the driver is prohibited from carrying out activities such as loading and unloading the vehicle, waiting at traffic lights, organising pending tasks or servicing the vehicle. If the truck has a sleeping cabin, the driver is allowed to relax in the truck during the rest period.

According to FPerSG, the legally required rest period is at least eleven hours within 24 hours. It is up to him when exactly the professional driver takes the rest period. It is also possible to divide the rest time into two blocks. If this is the case, the rest period is extended to 12 hours. The first block must be three hours and the second block nine hours.

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Trip interruption

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A trip interruption is the time in which the driver is recovering and is not behind the wheel. No driving activities may be carried out during this time. Other activities that are not used for recreation are also prohibited. Ferry crossings, for example, are also considered a travel interruption.

A trip interruption must be made after a driving time of 4.5 hours. The trip interruption must be at least 45 minutes. Here, too, it is possible to divide the break into two blocks, of which the first block should be 15 minutes and the second section should be 30 minutes. The driver is only allowed to steer the truck again after a travel interruption has been carried out.

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Weekly rest periods

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Last but not least, there is the rest period for the week. This describes the total rest period in one week. The weekly rest period must be at least 45 hours and must be carried out in a continuous cycle of 6x24 hours. Here, too, it is up to the truck driver how to divide up the rest period. The weekly rest period can also be reduced to 24 hours. However, the driver must rest for at least 45 hours in the first week. The second week should then be reduced to 24 hours of rest and the third week should in turn have a weekly rest period of 45 hours.

According to legislation, professional drivers are not allowed to spend the week's rest in trucks. Freight forwarders must therefore accommodate their employees in suitable accommodation. If this is not done this way, there is a risk of heavy fines. If the truck driver spends a week's rest in the truck, a fine of 500 euros is charged for the chauffeur and 1500 euros for the freight forwarding company. A violation will therefore be more than expensive in this case.

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Truck driving times — this is how the check is carried out

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All professional drivers who drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of over 3.5 tons are required to comply with the driving and rest periods described above. If this is not the case, as already mentioned, there are heavy fines for the driver and the company, which is why these are measured using tachographs.

A digital tachograph is equipped with a measurement recorder, which precisely records driving and rest times as well as breaks in travel. In addition, the kilometers and the speed are also documented. During an inspection, the data can be read by both the police and customs. Based on this information, it is then determined whether the legal driving and rest periods have been complied with. Of course, the employer also has insight into the documented times.

Vehicles that were registered after 2006, have a total weight of more than 3.5 tons and are used commercially must be equipped with a digital tachograph. In this case, the tachograph is operated via a driver card, which is equipped with a chip on which the information is stored and evaluated. The tachograph stores the data for 365 days. The driver card, on the other hand, is only valid for 28 days. Within 24 hours, the tachograph can read the speed being driven down to the second.

If you are an experienced truck driver and have all the information about the medical examination for trucks If you want to know, do not hesitate to read this article.

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Why are there driving and rest periods?

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Statutory truck driving times apply primarily to the safety of all road users. Tired truck drivers pose a major risk, especially on motorways and federal roads. In addition, the driving and rest periods are intended to enable professional drivers to recover properly.

If you don't have your driver's license yet, you might be interested in getting all the information about Cost of a truck driver's license to learn.

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Truck driving times — The FAQs

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What happens if you don't meet the truck driving time?

If legal regulations are violated, there is sometimes a risk of heavy fines. While an infringement of one hour costs the driver 30 euros, if exceeded by more than three hours, it costs a total of around 240 euros. The exact list and further information can be found here.

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How long can a truck driver drive?

In Germany, the legal driving time is a maximum of nine hours. This is when the trip interruption or rest period should take place.

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How often ten hours driving time?

As already mentioned, the legal driving time is hours. However, the driving time may be increased to 10 hours twice a week.

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How long do I have to take a break after driving for nine hours?

After driving for nine hours, a rest period of eleven hours should be maintained. However, these can be divided into two blocks. The first block is then three hours and the second eleven hours.

Novice professional drivers in particular often find it difficult to comply with rest periods. Before you sign up for Truck driver's license Decides, but you should definitely know about driving and rest periods.