EU Cuts Truckers’ Hours

January 3, 2001 10:42 AM, EST

LONDON — European Union transport ministers have agreed to a plan that will reduce the number of hours truckers may work.

	More HOS Coverage
	ATA: DOT Ignored Rulemaking Guidelines (Jan. 2) LTL Interests Prefer to Keep Old Hours Rules (Jan. 2) ATA's comments on the hours proposal (on Truckline) Special Report: Hours of Service (on Truckline)
	Shop Online
	Hours of Service Information Pack Alert Driver Book and Video Package

The plan, which was approved by transport ministers during their Dec. 21-22 meeting in Brussels, must still be passed by the European Parliament. It would limit European truckers to 48 hours of work a week. They would be allowed to drive up to 60 hours in a week on occasion, as long as their driving time over four months averaged out to no more than 48 hours per week.

In addition, a 30-minute break would be required after six hours of work and a 45-minute break after nine hours on the job.

The EU’s transport council has been working on new hours-of-service regulations for two years now, but has been stymied by the concerns in some countries whether owner-operators should be subject to the rules.

For the full story, see the Jan. 1 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.