Road package - obligatory rest | | EWALS CARGO CARE spol. s r.o.

Road package - obligatory rest

Starting from 20 August, the first provisions of the Mobility Package came into force.
The Mobility Package introduces new rules on drivers’ working time and rest periods. As its authors argue, the aim is to improve road safety and prevent unfair competition resulting from the non-compliance of certain operators. It is also important to protect drivers’ working conditions and their safety not only at work but also during rest. Hence, checks on transport undertakings for compliance will be extended.
Drivers will also need to have full knowledge of driving times, rest periods and the dangers of excessive fatigue at work.

Taking regular weekly rest

According to the new regulations, every rest lasting more than 45 hours will have to be taken outside the cab, in a place with adequate sanitary facilities to ensure the safety of both the trucker and the load being carried. This place may be adjacent to the parking lot.

IMPORTANT!

Safe and secure parking areas should be audited and certified according to EU
standards. The audit procedures should ensure that parking lots continuously meet
certain standards.
It will be the responsibility of the transport company to pay for accommodation in
such a parking lot.
Carriers and drivers will have access to information on available rest areas with the
required standards. The information will be available on a website and updated on a
regular basis. The European Commission will publish a list of all certified parking
areas.

Such parking areas will guarantee the following:

detection and prevention of intrusions
possibility to buy food and beverages
lighting and visibility
connectivity for communication
emergency contact point and emergency procedures
power supply

As part of the TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network), as many new secure parking areas are to be created so that the distance between them does not exceed 100 km.

IMPORTANT!

In the case of a multi-man crew, a driver may take a break of 45 minutes in a vehicle
driven by another driver, provided that during this break he is not involved in
assisting the trucker driving the vehicle.

Breaks

The driver’s working time and, above all, rest periods, are set so as to minimise the risk to traffic. At present there are weekly rest periods - regular (45 hours) and reduced (at least 24 hours). Today, a driver takes at least two regular weekly rests and one reduced weekly rest within two weeks.

The Mobility Package changes the rule on weekly rest (reduced and regular). From the moment the new regulations come into force, the driver will have to take within two weeks:

two regular weekly rest periods
or one regular rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours

Taking reduced weekly rest

A reduced rest can be taken at the latest at the end of six 24-hour periods (which
count from the end of the previous weekly regular rest period). Drivers engaged in
international transport may take two reduced weekly rest periods in a row, provided
that they take weekly rest periods during the following four weeks of work, of which
at least two must be regular weekly rest periods.

Taking regular weekly rest

When a driver takes two weekly reduced rests in a row, the next will be a regular
weekly rest, with due compensation. Such rest will have to take place obligatorily
at the company’s headquarters, in the country where it is registered or in the
driver’s place of residence. The return of the driver to the country will need to be
documented.

What is due compensation

The driver must take the remainder of the reduced weekly rest period in one go.
The compensation is to be taken before the end of the third working week
immediately following that in which the reduced weekly rest period took place.
On the other hand, if a driver takes two reduced rests in a row, the subsequent
regular weekly rest must be preceded by compensation for them.
Rest periods taken as compensation, lasting over 45 hours, may not be spent in a
cabin. As with any rest lasting more than 45 hours, it should take place under
appropriate conditions - in a place equipped with appropriate accommodation and
sanitary facilities adapted to each gender. The costs of accommodation are then
borne by the employer.

Breaking the rest on the ferry

A driver who, during the journey, is on a ferry or on a train and takes a regular
daily or reduced weekly rest period may interrupt this period twice with other
professional activities, lasting no more than one hour in total.

IMPORTANT!

While resting he must have a sleeping cabin, berth or couchette.

EWALS CARGO CARE spol. s r.o.