The working time for a truck driver is set per day and per week.
Motorist belong to one occupational group, which has a special responsibility. If they make a mistake, the serious consequences have for yourself and others. Are professional drivers unfocused, overtired or exhausted on the road, it can have an impact on your driving and thus road safety. It is therefore understandable that the Working hours for a truck driver especially strictly regulated is.
Time pressure as well as the high demands, posed by increasing traffic do not make it easy for motorists to keep to keep concentration constantly high. Then, if breaks or rest periods are not observed, are Microsleep or attention deficits often does not go far.
To reduce the risk of a To minimize the risk of truck accidents and also to protect drivers, the legislator has limited the working hours in the truck. But what is the Difference between driving and working time? Which legal principles are important in this context and what kind of sanctions can be imposed if they are disregarded? The following guide goes into more detail about these issues.
Professional truck drivers: working hours according to law
In terms of working time for a truck driver are several legal requirements of importance. On the one hand, the regulations for drivers basically apply, which are in the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) are defined as well as for self-employed drivers the "Act regulating the working time of self-employed drivers (KrFArbZG)". On the other hand, the Social regulations of the driving personnel ordinance (FPersV) must be observed.
Also significant for the Regulations on weekly working hours the EU regulation Directive 2002/15/EC. This directive also stipulates that working, driving and resting times for the purpose of control by digital tachograph must be recorded.
Important: driving time is not the same as working time.
For a driver of truck the working time includes in addition to the pure driving times (usually also called driving time) also times for loading and unloading, as well as the supervision of these. In addition, the cleaning, maintenance, the procurement of documents required by the authorities and waiting times to the working time of a truck driver. Breaks and rest periods, as mentioned, are not part of working time. In addition, a on-call time does not count as working time for a truck driver.
Driving time and rest periods as working time: what exactly are the requirements??
The Working Hours Act stipulates for drivers a daily and a weekly working time before. As previously mentioned, the law distinguishes a week for used to determine the working time. During this period the maximum working time for a truck driver average do not exceed 48 hours. However, it may be limited to 60 hours are extended, if the average working time within of four months does not exceed 48 hours.
In addition to the specifications regarding weekly working hours for truck drivers, the Working Hours Act for Professional Drivers provides for also a daily working time before. Drivers may not, as a rule no more than eight hours working during the day. Again, this can be extended to ten hours if, in the next six months, the daily working time for that truck driver has been which does not exceed eight hours.
violations of the Working Hours Act for truck drivers can mean fines for the employer.
For example, the Working Hours Act for drivers stipulates that a maximum of two driving periods of 4.5 hours each per day can be completed. According to six hours of working time a truck driver must have 30-minute break take. If the working time is more than nine hours, it must be 45 minutes. Truck drivers, however, must comply with driving time of 4.5 hours already a 45-minute break insert. Here it is important that driving and working time of the truck driver is distinguished become.
On the daily working time for a driver of truck followed by a daily rest period of 11 hours. A distinction must also be made here between daily and weekly rest periods. Within a week, the rest period must be for at least 45 hours are. A reduction of rest periods is possible in exceptional cases and regulated in § 5 ArbZG.
Legal working time: Violations can be expensive for truck drivers
If drivers disregard the regulations with regard to driving, rest and working times, sanctions may be imposed. As a rule, in such a case the employers can expect consequences, as he is responsible for the observance of working hours (also for truck drivers) responsible is.
If, for example, a Professional drivers are requested to, disregarding the legal requirements can high fines for the employer be the consequence. In addition, fines are imposed if the working hours for a truck driver are not or not properly recorded and archived will be.
FAQ: Working hours for truck drivers
Not only driving times are part of a truck driver’s working time – loading and unloading, waiting times, maintenance, repairs and visits to authorities are also part of it.
Of course, the regulations from the Working Hours Act also apply to truck drivers. The daily working time should not exceed 8 hours. You can find more information here.
driving times are included in working time, rest times are also included in breaks and free time for truck drivers.