European Union Basic Hours of Service Rule

The European Union Basic Hours of Service rule is governed by Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006.

 

The Regulation is applicable to drivers engaged in the carriage of goods by road where the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle, including any trailer, or semi-trailer exceeds 3.5 tons or of passengers by vehicles which are constructed or permanently adapted for carrying more than 9 persons including the driver and are intended for that purpose. Some exemptions may apply.

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The European Union Basic Hours of Service rules are:

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• A driver operating within the European Union Basic Hours of Service rule cannot work more than 60 hours in a 6 day work week. 

• A driver operating within the European Union Basic Hours of Service rule cannot work no more than 13 hours in a 24 hour day.

• A driver operating within the European Union Basic Hours of Service rule cannot drive more than 9 hours in a 24 hour period which may be extended to 10 hours no more than twice in a work week.

• A driver operating within the European Union Basic Hours of Service rule must take a mandatory 45 minute break at the completion of 4.5 hours of continuous work which may be split into 2 breaks of a 15 minute continuous break and a 30 minute continuous break.

• A driver operating within the European Union Basic Hours of Service rule must take a regular daily 11 hour rest break prior to the completion of a 24 hour day which can be reduced to 9 hours no more than 3 times in a work week by splitting the break where the first is at least 3 hours of uninterrupted rest and the second being at least 9 hours of uninterrupted rest. 

• A driver operating within the European Union Basic Hours of Service rule cannot restart the work week until after having completed a regular weekly rest period of at least 45 continuous hours of rest which may be reduced (shortened) to a minimum of 24 consecutive hours if in any two consecutive weeks a driver takes at least 2 regular weekly rest periods or one regular weekly rest and one reduced weekly rest compensated by an equivalent period of rest taken before the end of the third week.