The rules on driving hours, breaks, and rest periods protect not only other road users, but above all your health and safety. If your employer forces you to drive longer than the law allows, shorten your breaks, or manipulate tachograph records, they may be breaking the law. What are the basic rules?

Driving time

• you can drive for a maximum of 9 hours per day
• twice in one week, your daily driving time may be extended to 10 hours

your weekly driving time must not exceed 56 hours, while maintaining an average weekly working time of 48 hours.

Breaks during driving

After no more than 4,5 hours of driving, you must take a break of at least 45 minutes. The break may be split into a first break of at least 15 minutes followed by a second break of at least 30 minutes.

Daily rest

At the end of the working day, you are entitled to a daily rest period of at least 11 hours. This may be reduced to at least 9 hours, but no more than three times between two weekly rest periods.

Weekly rest

No later than six 24-hour periods after the end of your previous weekly rest, you must start a new weekly rest period.

• a regular weekly rest must last at least 45 hours. You must not spend this rest period in your truck
• a reduced weekly rest must last at least 24 hours. Any reduction must be compensated later.

Returning to Slovakia or home

Your employer must organise your work so that you can regularly return either to your home country or to Slovakia (the country where your employer’s operational centre is based).  Your return must be arranged at least every four weeks if you take regular weekly rest periods, or no later than every three weeks if you have taken two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods. If you drive without taking breaks, stay abroad for a long time without being able to return home, or your employer forces you to live in your truck for months, your labour rights may be being violated.

To protect yourself, keep:

• tachograph records (your employer must provide them to you in a human-readable format if you ask for them),
• work schedules and instructions from your employer,
• communication about your working hours, rest periods, and routes,
• documents related to business trips and posting,
• evidence showing how long you have been away from home,
• documents showing where you stayed during your weekly rest periods, or evidence that no accommodation was provided.

If you think the rules on driving times and rest periods are being broken, or if you are spending your regular weekly rest in your truck, you can contact the Labour Inspectorate, the road transport enforcement authorities, or the Police.

Useful links and contacts:

Labour Inspectorate

Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic

More information about working time in road transport

Being forced to do something you do not want to do can also be a sign of human trafficking or labour exploitation. Not sure about your situation? Check the warning signs of labour exploitation below to find out whether you may need help and support.