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Weekly rest and weekend rest outside the cab

45 hours regular weekly rest period or 24 hours reduced, compensation within three weeks and no regular weekly rest period in the cab.

Applies in: EU Last updated:

This translation was made automatically and has not been reviewed yet. If in doubt, the Dutch text and the official legal text prevail.

Regular and reduced weekly rest periods

Type Duration
Regular weekly rest period At least 45 hours
Reduced weekly rest period At least 24 hours, but less than 45 hours

A weekly rest period must start no later than at the end of six 24-hour periods from the end of your previous weekly rest period.

How many weekly rest periods in two weeks?

In any two consecutive weeks you take at least:

  • two regular weekly rest periods, or
  • one regular (45 h) and one reduced (24 h) weekly rest period.

Compensation for a reduced weekly rest period

You must make up the difference between your reduced rest period and 45 hours en bloc (in one block), before the end of the third week following the week in which you took the reduced rest period. You attach this compensation to another rest period of at least 9 hours.

Example: in week 10 you take a 30-hour weekly rest period. You must compensate 15 hours. You do this by week 13 at the latest, for example by taking a weekly rest period of 45 + 15 = 60 hours.

Two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods (international)

A driver in international carriage of goods may, outside the Member State of establishment of the employer, take two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods, if:

  • in any period of four consecutive weeks, he takes at least four weekly rest periods, of which at least two are regular weekly rest periods; and
  • the following weekly rest period is preceded by the compensation for both reduced rest periods.

No regular weekly rest period in the cab

A regular weekly rest period (45 hours or more) and a weekly rest period of more than 45 hours taken as compensation must not be taken in the vehicle. Your employer must then provide suitable, gender-friendly accommodation with sleeping facilities and sanitary facilities, and pays the costs. You may also rest at home or at another private place of your choice.

A reduced weekly rest period may be taken in the cab, if the vehicle is stationary and has suitable sleeping facilities.

Right to return home

Your employer must organise the work so that, within each period of 4 consecutive weeks, you can return to:

  • the operational centre of your employer where you are normally based, or
  • your place of residence,

in order to start a regular weekly rest period (or a compensatory weekly rest period of more than 45 hours) there. If you took two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods, this applies already after 3 weeks. You choose where you spend that rest period yourself; the employer must be able to demonstrate that he made the return possible.

More on this in the chapter Right to return and accommodation.

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