New rules for the work and rest of commercial vehicle drivers have come into force in Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Updated rules on working hours and rest for commercial vehicle drivers have come into force in Ukraine, bringing legislation closer to EU standards. The new regulations provide for changes in the use of tachographs and drivers' rest conditions.
New rules for the work and rest of commercial transport drivers have been introduced in Ukraine in accordance with European Union standards. The updated requirements provide for changes in the use of tachographs, conditions of weekly rest, and regulation of international transportation. This was reported by the Ministry for Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine, writes UNN.
On July 26, 2026, updated rules on working time and rest time for drivers of wheeled vehicles came into force. The rules were approved by Order No. 1727
It is noted that the update of the rules is an important step towards harmonizing Ukrainian transport legislation with the social standards of the European Union in the field of labor and rest for drivers of commercial road transport.
What is being simplified
Requirements for the use of tachographs and compliance with work and rest regimes do not apply to:
- transport of security and defense forces, emergency and rescue services;
- agricultural, municipal, postal, and certain specialized transportation within 100 kilometers of the vehicle storage location;
- passenger vehicles up to 7.5 tons within a radius of up to 100 kilometers from the storage location for transporting own cargo (for example, a bakery delivering its products to stores), provided that driving is not the main activity of the enterprise;
- educational and low-speed transport;
- transportation in combat zones;
- transportation for the needs of security and defense forces;
- internal business transportation of own cargo lasting up to 4 hours 30 minutes.
What is not changing
The current norms regarding the work and rest regime for drivers remain in effect:
- daily driving time — no more than 9 hours (up to 10 hours twice a week);
- no more than 56 hours of driving per week and 90 hours over two weeks;
- mandatory 45-minute break after 4.5 hours of driving;
- possibility to split the break into 15 and 30 minutes;
- mandatory use of functioning tachographs.
What is new
Among the key innovations:
- requirements for work and rest regimes and the use of tachographs apply to drivers (including individual entrepreneurs) who carry out international passenger transportation on order and international taxi transportation. Previously, this issue was not regulated by legislation;
- the regular weekly rest of the driver lasting at least 45 hours must be provided in appropriate conditions at the expense of the carrier, not in the vehicle cabin;
- in case of night work (from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM), the shift duration cannot exceed 10 hours;
- for international freight transportation, vehicles first registered in Ukraine after June 30, 2026, must use smart tachographs G2V2. Currently, over 50 centers provide maintenance services for them;
- the storage period for records of driver work and rest time has been increased to 56 days. Enterprises must keep relevant records for two years.