Reference · Legal limits
EU driving, break and rest limits for road haulage
The EU’s ordinary road-haulage rules limit daily driving to nine hours and allow ten hours twice in a week. Weekly driving is capped at 56 hours, with a separate 90-hour ceiling across two consecutive weeks.
Sources checked
- 01Daily driving
Nine hours ordinarily, with ten hours available at most twice in a week. Source 2
- 02Weekly driving
No more than 56 hours in a week. Source 2
- 03Two consecutive weeks
No more than 90 hours of driving across the pair. Source 2
The daily, weekly and two-week limits all matter when scheduling work.
Check the vehicle and operation first
The general goods-vehicle scope uses maximum permissible mass including any trailer. The European Commission’s guidance describes the extension from 1 July 2026 to qualifying international goods transport or cabotage over 2.5 tonnes. The regulation also contains exemptions. Source 2 Source 3
The weekly limit does not replace the two-week limit
A driver can stay under 56 hours in each individual week and still exceed 90 hours over the two weeks. For example, 50 hours followed by 45 is 95. The daily nine-hour rule and its limited extensions apply alongside both caps. Source 1 Source 2
A driving break has its own duration and order
The ordinary rule requires a break of at least 45 minutes after at most four and a half hours of driving, unless a rest period is taken. The regulation permits a split into at least 15 minutes followed by at least 30 minutes. Source 1 Source 2
Rest periods are separate from driving breaks
Regular daily rest is at least 11 hours, and regular weekly rest is at least 45 hours. Reduced rest periods have conditions and compensation requirements. The Commission also describes national derogations, so check the applicable scope before using an exception. Source 1 Source 2