The Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024, officially effective from January 1, 2025, brings significant changes to the transportation industry, especially regarding long-haul truck driving limits. According to the new law, truck drivers are not allowed to drive more than 48 hours per week, operate a vehicle for more than 10 hours in a day, or drive continuously for more than 4 hours. While aimed at improving road safety and protecting drivers’ health, this regulation is causing concern for long-haul transportation businesses facing challenges related to costs and manpower.
New Truck Driving Hour Limits: Safety Goals and Strict Enforcement
The regulation on long-haul truck driving limits is one of the notable new points of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024. Specifically, the law clearly stipulates the maximum working hours for truck drivers to prevent overwork, fatigue, and the resulting risk of traffic accidents.
Accordingly, the following truck driving hour limits are applied:
- Weekly driving hour limit: No more than 48 hours.
- Daily driving hour limit: No more than 10 hours.
- Continuous driving time limit: No more than 4 hours.
Compliance with truck driving hour limits is mandatory for both drivers and transportation businesses. Decree 168/2024/ND-CP clearly stipulates penalties for violations. Drivers in violation may be fined from VND 3-5 million and have 2 points deducted from their driver’s license. The penalties for vehicle owners are also significant, ranging from VND 4-6 million for individuals and VND 8-12 million for organizations if they allow drivers to violate the regulations.
Illustration of new truck driving hour limits, emphasizing compliance for safety.
The main goal of the long-haul truck driving limits regulation is to ensure road safety, reduce accidents caused by driver fatigue, and protect the health of workers. However, applying this regulation in practice poses many challenges for the transportation industry, especially businesses operating on long routes.
Concerns From Long-Haul Transportation Businesses: Increased Costs and Labor Shortages
Immediately after the regulation on long-haul truck driving limits was announced, many transportation businesses expressed concerns about potential negative impacts. Mr. Phan Thanh Uy, General Secretary of the Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association, stated that this regulation will cause many difficulties for long-haul transportation businesses.
One of the biggest concerns is that operating costs may increase significantly. With a truck driving hour limit of 48 hours/week, businesses may need to increase the number of drivers per trip or arrange additional backup vehicles to ensure transportation schedules. This means that labor costs, fuel costs, and other related expenses will increase accordingly.
“The current number of truck and passenger car drivers is insufficient, and it will be even more difficult to recruit additional drivers for sleeper buses and container trucks to meet the new truck driving hour limits,” Mr. Uy shared. “When transportation businesses incur additional costs, the price of goods and the competitiveness of the economy will certainly be affected.”
Illustration depicting transportation businesses' concerns about difficulties in implementing new truck driving hour limits.
Echoing this view, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Manh, Chairman of the Dien Bien Provincial Automobile Transportation Association, believes that the truck driving hour limit of 48 hours/week is “very inappropriate.” Many transportation businesses in Dien Bien are weighing between complying with the new regulations and maintaining their current business plans. If they continue to operate as before, they will certainly be in violation, and if they comply, they may have to cease operations due to insufficient funds.
Transportation businesses in Hanoi also share these concerns. Mr. Do Van Bang, Chairman of the Hanoi Automobile Transportation Association, said that many businesses do not agree with this new regulation because its impact on drivers and businesses is significant.
Solutions and Recommendations: The Need for Flexibility and Infrastructure Investment
Although supporting the safety goals of the long-haul truck driving limits regulation, many experts and transportation businesses believe that flexible solutions and support are needed to make the implementation of this regulation more effective.
Mr. Phan Thanh Uy suggested that regulatory agencies should consider allowing drivers to have additional driving hours per week, similar to overtime regulations in the Labor Law. This can help reduce pressure on time and costs for businesses while still ensuring truck driving hour limits are at a reasonable level.
“Highways need to be built and upgraded quickly to ensure standards with continuous emergency lanes and adequate rest stops,” Mr. Uy added about infrastructure solutions. Investing in transportation infrastructure, especially highways and modern rest stops, will help drivers have better working and resting conditions while optimizing transportation time.
Mr. Do Van Bang also proposed that the Association should have written recommendations to introduce mechanisms and policies for professional and specialized drivers. It is possible to maintain the truck driving hour limit of 48 hours/week but allow for an increase in working time of about 30% for drivers with sufficient capacity and health, on a voluntary and non-compulsory basis.
Conclusion: Balancing Safety and Transportation Efficiency
The regulation on long-haul truck driving limits is an important step in ensuring road safety and protecting the rights of workers. However, the implementation of this regulation requires close coordination between regulatory agencies, transportation businesses, and drivers.
For the new regulations to be truly effective, there needs to be flexibility in application, support from the state in terms of infrastructure and policies, as well as proactive adaptation from transportation businesses. The ultimate goal is to create a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation environment, ensuring the rights of all stakeholders.
