Driver working time under AETR
A summary of the AETR agreement and Regulation (EC) 561/2006. Tap a heading to open or close a section.
1. Driving time
| Daily driving | 9 hours May be extended to 10 hours, but no more than twice a week. |
|---|---|
| Weekly driving | 56 hours The week runs from Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00. |
| Two weeks | 90 hours Total of two consecutive weeks. If you drove 56h in the first week, you may drive at most 34h in the second. |
Daily driving is the total driving between two daily rest periods (it is not counted per calendar day, but from the end of one rest to the start of the next).
2. Break during driving (45 min)
After no more than 4 hours and 30 minutes of driving, the driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes - unless a rest period begins at that point.
The break may be split into two parts, but only in this order:
Both parts must fall within the same 4h30 of driving. The reverse order (30 then 15) is not allowed. Once the full 45 minutes are taken, the continuous driving counter restarts from zero.
During a break the driver must not perform any work - no loading, no paperwork. The break may not be split into three parts (e.g. 15+15+15).
3. Daily rest
| Regular | 11 hours uninterrupted |
|---|---|
| Split | 3 hours + 9 hours (12h in total) First at least 3h, then at least 9h. In that order. |
| Reduced | 9 hours At most 3 times between two weekly rest periods. No compensation required. |
The daily rest must be completed within 24 hours of the end of the previous daily or weekly rest. In practice: if your rest ended at 06:00, the next daily rest must start early enough to fit in the window up to 06:00 the following day.
Rest may be taken in the vehicle only if the vehicle is stationary and has a bunk.
4. Multi-manning (two drivers)
Multi-manning means there are at least two drivers in the vehicle to drive, throughout the entire driving period between two daily rest periods.
Each driver must take a daily rest of at least 9 hours, and it must be taken within 30 hours of the end of the previous daily or weekly rest (instead of the usual 11h within 24h).
| First hour | The second driver need not be present during the first hour of driving. |
|---|---|
| Co-driver's time | While the vehicle is moving and he is not driving - recorded as availability, not rest. |
| 45 min break | The co-driver may take it in a moving vehicle, provided he performs no work. |
| Daily rest | May not be taken in a moving vehicle - the vehicle must be stationary. |
Important: multi-manning does not extend the driving time allowed per driver. Each driver still has 9h (10h) daily, 56h weekly and 4h30 without a break.
5. Weekly rest and compensation
A weekly rest must start no later than after 6 consecutive 24-hour periods (144 hours) from the end of the previous weekly rest.
| Regular | 45 hours or more |
|---|---|
| Reduced | from 24 to 45 hours - the difference must be compensated |
| 45h | Regular rest - no compensation |
|---|---|
| 36h | Compensation of 9 hours (45 - 36) |
| 24h | Compensation of 21 hours (45 - 24) |
Formula: compensation = 45h - rest taken.
The compensation must be taken by the end of the third week following the week in which the rest was reduced.
It must be taken in one block and attached to another rest period of at least 9 hours - it may not be split into several parts or taken separately.
In any two consecutive weeks a driver must take:
- two regular weekly rests (45h + 45h), or
- one regular (45h) and one reduced (at least 24h)
6. Where the rest may be taken
| Regular weekly (45h) | Not allowed in the vehicle. The employer must provide and pay for accommodation. |
|---|---|
| Reduced weekly (24-45h) | Allowed in the vehicle if it has a bunk and is parked in a suitable place. |
| Daily rest | Allowed in the vehicle if it has a bunk and the vehicle is stationary. |
Return home: the employer must arrange for the driver to return to the company's operational centre or to his place of residence every 4 weeks, for a regular weekly rest.
7. Exceptions and derogations
| Ferry / train | A regular daily rest may be interrupted at most twice, for a total of no more than 1 hour, for boarding or disembarking. The driver must have access to a bunk. |
|---|---|
| Finding a parking place | The driver may depart from the rules as far as necessary to reach a suitable stopping place, without compromising road safety. The reason must be recorded manually. |
| Returning for rest | To reach the operational centre or home for a weekly rest, the daily driving time may be exceeded by 1 hour, or by 2 hours if a 30-minute break was taken beforehand. |
Every derogation must be recorded manually on the tachograph record sheet or printout, with the reason, at the latest on arrival at the destination.
8. Quick reference
| 4h30 | maximum continuous driving |
|---|---|
| 45 min | break (may be 15 + 30, in that order) |
| 9h / 10h | daily driving (10h at most twice a week) |
| 11h / 9h | daily rest (9h at most 3 times between weekly rests) |
| 3h + 9h | split daily rest |
| 9h / 30h | multi-manning: 9h rest within 30 hours |
| 56h / 90h | weekly / fortnightly |
| 45h / 24h | weekly rest, regular / reduced |
| 144h | latest start of a new weekly rest |
| 3 weeks | deadline to compensate a reduced weekly rest |
This summary is for orientation only and does not replace the official text of the AETR agreement or the tachograph record. In a roadside check the tachograph is what counts.