Driving and rest periods
Driving periods:
Breaks:
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Daily driving periods may not exceed nine hours. Two tenhour driving periods per week are, however, permitted.
Weekly driving periods may not exceed 56 hours, distributed
over 6 x 24 hours.
Driving periods may not exceed a maximum of 90 hours in
any two consecutive weeks.

A break of 45 minutes must be taken after 4½ hours'
driving. This break may be divided in two. The first break
of a minimum of 15 minutes may be taken at any time. The
second break must be taken no later than after 4½ hours'
driving and must last for a minimum of 30 minutes.
A new 4½-hour driving period commences after the 45minute break has been taken.
Daily rest periods:
Weekly rest period:
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Within each 24-hour period the driver must take a minimum
of 11 hours' consecutive rest which may be reduced to nine
hours' consecutive rest three times between two weekly rest
periods.
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After a maximum of 6 x 24 hours, a weekly rest period
must be taken.
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For two-man teams nine hours' consecutive rest periods must
be taken within a 30-hour period.
In two consecutive weeks, the driver must take a minimum
of two standard weekly rest periods every 45 hours or

Daily rest and reduced weekly rest may be taken in the vehicle
if it is equipped with a bunk and the vehicle is parked.

A standard weekly rest period of a minimum of 45 hours
and a reduced weekly rest period of a minimum of 24 hours
(with subsequent compensation which must be taken in
extension of another rest period of a minimum of nine
hours before the end of the following three weeks).
Ferry rules:
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Possession of diagram sheet/driver card/data during
driving:
During embarkation and disembarkation from a ferry, rest
periods may be broken twice. These breaks may not exceed a
total of one hour. If such breaks are taken, rest periods must
constitute a minimum of 11 hours.
Breaks are not counted as part of the rest period.
During driving the driver must be able to produce:
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Download:
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driving licence
driver card (if the driver is in possession of such a card)
print-outs from the digital tachograph (e.g. functional error
on tachograph/driver card)
driver discs for the day in question and for the previous 28
calendar days.
Which types of road transport are included:
Driver cards must be downloaded every 21 days and when the
driver leaves his/her position.
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Digital tachographs must be downloaded every other month
and on the sale of the vehicle.
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Driver discs, data from digital tachographs or driver cards
must be kept by the company for a minimum of one year.

Goods transport with a vehicle whose largest permitted
total weight including trailer or semi-trailer exceeds 3.5
tons.

Transport of persons with a vehicle constructed or
permanently designed to transport more than nine
persons.
Remember that:
 The driver disc should only be inserted in the tachograph
for 24 hours
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atl.di.dk
State the reason for any breach of the rules on the back of
the driver disc or print-out from tachograph
Driving and rest periods
Driving exempt from rules:
Company card and driver card:
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The transport company must have a company card
identifying the company and making it possible to
display, transfer and print data from the control
device just as it must be used prior to the use of and
at the end of use of a vehicle.

The driver must have a driver card where the driver's
activities are registered for a minimum of 28 days at a
time after which continuous overwrite takes place.

The driver may not use soiled or damaged driver
cards. The driver card is also personal and not
transferable.
If exempt driving is carried out immediately before or after
driving and rest period rules, this must be registered as 'other
work' in the digital tachograph or on the back of the diagram
sheet.
When visiting a garage, the driver should take out his/her driver card
or diagram sheet while the vehicle is being repaired. Test drives after
vehicle repair are not regulated by the driving and rest period rules.
Employees who have left company employment:

When a driver leaves his/her position, the driver must produce
a diagram for the past 28 calendar days. This must, however, be
returned after 28 days. The driver card should also be
downloaded after the last working day. Should this not take
place and if the driver does not download his/her driver card or
if the driver refuses on leaving his/her position to return the
diagram sheets, the company should as a last resort report this
to the police.
Rules for working hours (Working Hour Directive):
Breaks (Work Directive):
Work (Work Directive):
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Drivers are permitted to work 48 hours a week on average over
six months.
A maximum of 60 hours may be worked in one week. Working
hours with other employers count towards the calculation of
working hours
Working hours mean e.g. driving, loading and unloading,
securing the cargo, washing and maintenance. Breaks, waiting
periods and rest periods are not included as working hours.
If work is carried out at night (the night period is from 12
midnight to 4 am), a maximum of 10 hours per day may be
worked

A break of a minimum of 30 minutes must be taken
after six hours' work. If the driver works for more
than nine hours, the break taken must be a minimum
of 45 minutes. Breaks may be divided into periods
which must be a minimum of 15 minutes each.
Arbejdsgiverforeningen for Transport og
Logistik (The Employer Association for
Transport and Logistics)
Postal address:
1787 Copenhagen V
Address for visitors:
Hannemanns Allé 25
2300 Copenhagen S
Tel: 3377 4727 – Fax 3377 3300 – E-mail: [email protected]
2011
atl.di.dk