I have taken to report this fact , that Belgium are no longer allowing a 45 hr rest to be taken in their country by foreigners, and no hotels allowed either, and an 1800 euro fine for not obeying their change to the law, this was in a letter from the RHA addressed to a fellow haulier. Drivers feel it is against the Taliban for parking in places where they are not wanted, using the facilities, or maybe not using them in the right way, then leaving without paying or spending anything, and this affects all drivers and vehicles.
truckyboy:
I have taken to report this fact , that Belgium are no longer allowing a 45 hr rest to be taken in their country by foreigners, and no hotels allowed either, and an 1800 euro fine for not obeying their change to the law, this was in a letter from the RHA addressed to a fellow haulier. Drivers feel it is against theTalibanfor parking in places where they are not wanted, using the facilities, or maybe not using them in the right way, then leaving without paying or spending anything, and this affects all drivers and vehicles.
Sorry but the no hotel bit in not correct.
Belgium may ban normal weekend rests in the cab
FEBETRA, the Belgian Road Hauliers Association, has advised that, with effect from 21 June, Belgium intends to enforce a prohibition whereby drivers may not take normal weekend rest in the cab on Belgian soil. Any driver taking a normal weekend rest in the cab will face a fine of up to €1800.
FEBETRA states that the Belgian Government is allowed to enforce this through its interpretation of Regulation 561/2006 Article 8, which allows this facility for reduced weekly rest but not normal rest. Thus, in the Belgian Government’s current view, if the law does not allow something, it is prohibited.
With less than a week to go to the start of this prohibition, and with existing contracts in place, some may be affected by this action, especially if using sub-contractors. Furthermore, taking a normal weekly rest in France also leaves drivers more vulnerable to clandestine attacks.
The EU institutions have been informed of this problem and we hope for an update in the next few days. In the meantime members may wish to review any contracts they are about to make or review those that are in place, and where a weekend rest may be expected to take place in Belgium.
It doesn’t say anything about foreigners there. Or am I missing something. What Tachograph posted seems to say that no trucks Belgium registered or otherwise can have an in cab normal rest.
To be fair I can see why the Belgians are going to enforce this, but the term “too little too late” springs to mind. Quite why a country only famous for Plastic Bertrand, Tin Tin and Hercule Poirot should suddenly take it upon themselves to be the EU’s police is a bit baffling. After all they fully embrace the EU pipe dream with all it entails, so can hardly bleat when they don’t like one aspect of it.
In my experience Pytor and Vlad are nothing if not adaptable and will merely sleep in their trailer or set up their tent beside the motor to circumnavigate the authorities.
I don’t do a great deal over the water any more, but I did run in from Belgium today and it struck me that whereas 20 years ago the service areas would be virtually deserted at the weekend, this morning every service area was rammed full with eastern European trucks, the majority of which were presumably weekending.
If the Belgians are trying to put a stop to eastern hauliers permanently operating in western Europe, then fair play to them, it’s not fair competition for us, and it’s not fair on the blokes who have to spend months at a time away from home. The ones I’ve spoken to in the past always say how much they miss home, family etc.
be interesting to how the likes of fly-by-nite will get around this then
nick2008:
be interesting to how the likes of fly-by-nite will get around this then
piece of cake 
clues in THEIR name 
and Belgian soil? 
no problem don’t park on the grass! 
use the Tarmac! 
The point will come, where EEs won’t be everywhere soon, as once these do it, then French, Germans and Spanish will follow suit! Interesting times ahead me thinks!
nick2008:
be interesting to how the likes of fly-by-nite will get around this then
Tour trucks mainly weekend at venues, and I don’t imagine the law will be enforced anywhere other than in service areas, although if it was then tour drivers would be put in hotels for their rest periods, rock and roll firms already make extensive use of hotels for third drivers etc.
Personally I don’t think eu law ever intended to prohibit 45 hour rests in trucks, the law was simply badly written by some junior clerk and nobody bothered to check the wording before it was passed into legislation. However, according to strict interpretation of law, it is technically illegal to spend a 45 hour rest in a truck and I’ll be interested to see what happens in the near future.
I am strongly opposed to eastern trucks doing western work, because I can’t buy a house for the sort of money a Bulgarian can, so I fully support any increased enforcement to drive eastern European hauliers away from western Europe.
Harry Monk:
I don’t do a great deal over the water any more, but I did run in from Belgium today and it struck me that whereas 20 years ago the service areas would be virtually deserted at the weekend, this morning every service area was rammed full with eastern European trucks, the majority of which were presumably weekending.If the Belgians are trying to put a stop to eastern hauliers permanently operating in western Europe, then fair play to them, it’s not fair competition for us, and it’s not fair on the blokes who have to spend months at a time away from home. The ones I’ve spoken to in the past always say how much they miss home, family etc.
Most Services round Europe seemed to be rammed full at weekends, with trucks ending up parked all over the place down slip road etc. I’ve seen some recently refurbished services in Belgium that have a few short stay truck parking places the rest are in a secure park that allows you 30 min free parking.
that’s nice, I’m sure the good people living across the border from belgium in lille, aachen, breda, luxembourg etc etc will only appreciate the multitudes of extra lorrys spending the weekend in their respective countries from now on, instead of somewhere in belgium. chaos will ensue and this little political exercise will have been forgotten about come fall.
milodon:
that’s nice, I’m sure the good people living across the border from belgium in lille, aachen, breda, luxembourg etc etc will only appreciate the multitudes of extra lorrys spending the weekend in their respective countries from now on, instead of somewhere in belgium. chaos will ensue and this little political exercise will have been forgotten about come fall.
Maybe, or maybe France, the Netherlands and the whole of western Europe will say “we’ve had enough of the invasion too” and we can go back to western European work being done by western European trucks. It’s a daydream, I know.
No offence to you personally Milodon, but life was better for UK truck drivers before eastern European labour arrived here en masse to halve our wages.
milodon:
that’s nice, I’m sure the good people living across the border from belgium in lille, aachen, breda, luxembourg etc etc will only appreciate the multitudes of extra lorrys spending the weekend in their respective countries from now on, instead of somewhere in belgium. chaos will ensue and this little political exercise will have been forgotten about come fall.
Why would the authorities of Belgium worry if the problem is moved over their border, they’ll see it as a result? Of course like you say this will probably ■■■■ off those on the border of the surrounding countries, but all they can do is complain to their authorities, so it could be that this spreads round Europe. I’m sure the French are very interested in seeing if it works.
until the interpretation of the regulation is tested in court, which actually might happen now. There is not really a lot to stop Belgium or any other country taking this course of action, it just depends on how zealous they are in it’s enforcement?
Will this actually make much difference to anyone other than Belgium drivers, I would have thought that a lot of drivers who weekend in Belgium will be having reduced weekly rest periods there now.
France are on about doing it aswell, 
I heard it through the grapewine that belgium is a part of a union, lead by a commission, where the vice president responsible for transportation is actually an eastern european gentleman. a very corrupt estonian in fact. and y’all forgot about the part where the corporations responsible for the eastern invasion are still in charge, counting every penny they can chop off the bottom line.
the maoster:
… a country only famous for Plastic Bertrand, Tin Tin and Hercule Poirot …
Wohwohwohwoh, what about The Exalted One, Eddy Merckx?
Harry Monk:
No offence to you personally Milodon, but life was better for UK truck drivers before eastern European labour arrived here en masse to halve our wages.
Here here Harry ^^^. Glad to here you’ve been back over the pond too.
milodon:
the corporations responsible for the eastern invasion are still in charge, counting every penny they can chop off the bottom line.
Yes, we know, and that’s why we are all voting UKIP.
the maoster:
In my experience Pytor and Vlad are nothing if not adaptable and will merely sleep in their trailer or set up their tent beside the motor to circumnavigate the authorities.
I’m having a 44h 59m reduced weekly rest + compensating for a previous reduced weekly rest?
TRACE p39:
By specifically allowing a reduced weekly rest period (24 hours) to be taken in a suitably equipped vehicle, the Regulation appears to be excluding the possibility of taking regular weekly rests in a vehicle. In reality this is rarely enforced given that the Regulation also does not exclude from this concession, rest periods that comprise a reduced weekly rest plus compensation for previously reduced weekly rest.
Well fair play to the Belgians.
These euro lads on 250 euros a week for weeks on end away, it is almost a form of slavery in my opinion just so westerners can get all their cheap tat.
Now as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a second generation irish immigrant & was born here. I’m not that patriotic to either country to be honest but I’m a great believer in adapting to & respecting the traditions of where you now live and integrating with the local culture. I just hate
the rich feeding off the poor.