European Regulation (EC) 561/2006, alongside the more recent EU Mobility Package I, establishes a unified framework of EU driving regulations encompassing maximum daily and fortnightly driving times, along with daily and weekly minimum rest periods, applicable to drivers of both road haulage and passenger transport vehicles. The primary objectives of these regulations are to enhance working conditions, bolster driver safety, promote environmentally conscious driving practices, and foster fair competition within the transport industry. However, it's important to note that these European driving rules may be subject to certain exceptions and national derogations.
If you have a long-haulage company, for instance, travelling in Europe, your company needs to comply with these provisions. That’s not necessarily confusing for your drivers, who have the aid of a tachograph measuring their driving and resting times, but it may be challenging for your fleet managers, who need to assign new services to the drivers. They have to calculate whether or not drivers have enough time left to be able to complete the tasks to be assigned to them. Wrong calculations may result in violations – and heavy fines – or, on the other hand, leave drivers and vehicles stopped for too long for fear of not being able to complete the work in the time remaining.
Once your company is able to easily calculate these times, however, it’s easy to decide which drivers a new task can be assigned to, without the risk of violations and subsequent police tickets.
