How many hours can a truck driver work per week in the EU?
EU truck drivers can work up to 60 hours in a single week, averaging 48 hours over four months, separate from the 56-hour driving-time limit.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
Under EU Directive 2002/15/EC, a truck driver's total working time - driving, loading, paperwork, and waiting time - must not exceed 60 hours in any single week and must average no more than 48 hours over a four-month reference period, separate from the 56-hour weekly driving-time limit.
This distinction between working time and driving time causes most of the confusion among drivers and transport managers, so the sections below separate the two limits clearly and show how they interact.
What counts as working time for a truck driver under EU rules?
Working time under Directive 2002/15/EC , in force since 2002, covers every activity connected to the transport operation, not only time spent behind the wheel. It includes driving, loading and unloading, vehicle cleaning and technical maintenance, formalities with customs or police, and paperwork such as delivery notes and tachograph records. Waiting time also counts as working time whenever its duration is not known in advance, for example when a driver sits at a loading dock without a confirmed slot. Waiting time only falls outside the definition when the driver knows the length of the break beforehand and is free to use it as rest, such as a scheduled meal break.
What is the difference between working time and driving time?
Working time and driving time are governed by two separate pieces of EU law, and drivers frequently mix them up. Driving time is the narrower measure set out in Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 , which caps actual time at the wheel. Working time is the broader measure set out in Directive 2002/15/EC, which adds every other task connected to the job on top of driving. Because driving time is one component of working time rather than a separate total, the 56-hour weekly driving cap already sits inside the 60-hour weekly working cap rather than adding to it. Drivers and dispatchers who want the full daily and weekly driving-time rules can compare daily driving-time limits in Logifie's separate guide .
| Limit type | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Daily driving time (Regulation 561/2006) | 9 hours (10 hours twice a week) |
| Weekly driving time (Regulation 561/2006) | 56 hours |
| Weekly working time, single week (Directive 2002/15/EC) | 60 hours |
| Weekly working time, averaged (Directive 2002/15/EC) | 48 hours over four months |
What happens if a driver or operator breaches the Working Time Directive?
Enforcement sits with national labour inspectorates, and breaches can trigger fines against both the driver and the operator, along with risk to the operator's transport licence in serious cases. After the 2025-08-18 retrofit deadline that required internationally-operating vehicles to carry Smart Tachograph Generation 2 (V2) devices , enforcement increasingly relies on remote tachograph data rather than roadside checks alone, so infringements once missed are now visible before a vehicle is stopped. Fleets that track hours automatically with Logifie's Driver Assistant or manage compliance with a full transport management system catch both thresholds well before a tachograph download turns a mistake into a fine.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Working Time Directive apply to self-employed truck drivers?
Self-employed drivers are excluded from the mobile-worker definition in most member states' implementation of Directive 2002/15/EC, so the 60-hour and 48-hour caps generally apply only to employed drivers. Several member states have narrowed or delayed this exclusion, so operators working across borders should confirm the local transposition rather than assuming the exclusion applies everywhere.
What is the reference period used for the 48-hour average?
The 48-hour average is calculated over a reference period set by the member state, which under the Directive must not exceed four months. Employers track working time across that rolling window rather than week by week, so a single heavy week is acceptable as long as the four-month average stays at or below 48 hours.
Can a truck driver legally work 60 hours in a single week?
Yes, 60 hours in one week is permitted as an absolute ceiling, provided the driver's average over the four-month reference period does not exceed 48 hours. A driver cannot work 60 hours every week, since that would breach the averaging rule even though no single week exceeds the cap.
Does waiting time at a loading dock count as working time?
Waiting time at a loading dock counts as working time when the driver does not know in advance how long the wait will last. If the wait is a known, fixed length and the driver is free to rest during it, it is treated as a break rather than working time.
Fleets that want the 60-hour and 48-hour limits enforced automatically rather than checked after the fact can track driver hours in real time with Logifie's tracking platform .
