Heard a little story in work today that the French don’t allow trucks to drive on Sundays, is this driver ■■■■■■■■ or is it genuine■■?
Genuine. With the exception of perishables there is a sunday driving ban except for the “corridor” between the tunnel/calais and the Belgian border, though this exception doesn’t apply to trucks carrying ADR, they have to wait until midnight (or is it 10pm?). Same for all bank holidays in France too. I’ve often had to press on and get out of France in to Germany or Switzerland before 10pm the the HGV ban for a bank holiday starts. Infact I’ve gone up to an hour beyond 10pm and never been stopped, I dont know how far you could get away with that though.
Several European countries operate this way, Germany does and also has many seasonal Saturday truck bans on most or all North/South Autobahns, Trucking in Europe really is a pain in the arse these days!
Yep, correct. From 2200 saturday until 2200 sunday unless carrying perishable goods. There are some exemptions, but the above is the basic rule.
i got pulled by swiss police about to leave the services at 4.50 one morning, they kept me there till 5 and then bid me a fond farewell 
I understood that if you were returning home, you could continue. Certainly I often returned on a Sunday sometimes from as far away as Nice and although I’ve been stopped (as is regular in France), never been stopped from continuing.
It’s a great thing and I wish we still had Sundays.
Hexhome:
I understood that if you were returning home, you could continue. Certainly I often returned on a Sunday sometimes from as far away as Nice and although I’ve been stopped (as is regular in France), never been stopped from continuing.It’s a great thing and I wish we still had Sundays.
If it was such a great thing, why didn’t you park up and show some respect for their laws?
It was a few years back if so many hours to home ev ferry. Or border of exit you could continue your journey legally that was stopped quite a few years back
Have ran midweek holiday bans over last couple years
Been ok looked at it extra days work on truck
Fined once left. Bordeaux at 0500. Got stopped hour or so from cherbourg
Fined 130 euro and carried onto port that more than out weighed the extra earnings
Plus got away with it 20times before and since
Tautliner aswell
Sundays done few times with fridge ambient load fire fridge on plus 5 constant
Had gendarmes drive past look up ar fridge and carry on
Not Just france tho
Germany
Lux if heading to france or germany
Ok if heading to belgium
Spain (basque mainly and. Errain roads around mAdrid)
Changes alot on time of year so check dates
Italy
Austria
Swiss
Both above have night time bans aswell
one to remember, in Italy, you are not allowed to drive a HGV on the first day of the holiday season
the only problem with this rule is, it is not listed in any diary, so, you don’t actually know when it is 
got pulled just north of Ancona by the Garda di Firenza (sp) for that one 
Another with italy if you are heading to or from a ferry to scicilly greece etc you are ok to run as long as you have evidence
Normal sunday ban doesny start til 0800 sunday
shuttlespanker:
got pulled just north of Ancona by the Garda di Firenza (sp) for that one
Guardia di Finanza
Helped me out once just outside Florence, they were a good bunch of blokes led by one who used to live in Ilford!
Hexhome:
I understood that if you were returning home, you could continue. Certainly I often returned on a Sunday sometimes from as far away as Nice and although I’ve been stopped (as is regular in France), never been stopped from continuing.It’s a great thing and I wish we still had Sundays.
We Used to run north sundays, remember HUGE queu’s full of pork’n cheese’ at Irun(border),run up to cherbourg turn round and back again!No problem
robinhood_1984:
Genuine. With the exception of perishables there is a sunday driving ban except for the “corridor” between the tunnel/calais and the Belgian border, though this exception doesn’t apply to trucks carrying ADR, they have to wait until midnight (or is it 10pm?). Same for all bank holidays in France too. I’ve often had to press on and get out of France in to Germany or Switzerland before 10pm the the HGV ban for a bank holiday starts. Infact I’ve gone up to an hour beyond 10pm and never been stopped, I dont know how far you could get away with that though.
Several European countries operate this way, Germany does and also has many seasonal Saturday truck bans on most or all North/South Autobahns, Trucking in Europe really is a pain in the arse these days!
why would you wan’t to get out of france into germany before 10pm?
browncow2:
robinhood_1984:
Genuine. With the exception of perishables there is a sunday driving ban except for the “corridor” between the tunnel/calais and the Belgian border, though this exception doesn’t apply to trucks carrying ADR, they have to wait until midnight (or is it 10pm?). Same for all bank holidays in France too. I’ve often had to press on and get out of France in to Germany or Switzerland before 10pm the the HGV ban for a bank holiday starts. Infact I’ve gone up to an hour beyond 10pm and never been stopped, I dont know how far you could get away with that though.
Several European countries operate this way, Germany does and also has many seasonal Saturday truck bans on most or all North/South Autobahns, Trucking in Europe really is a pain in the arse these days!why would you wan’t to get out of france into germany before 10pm?
On a mid-week bank holiday. We used to always cross in to Switzerland from Weil-am-Rhein on the German side and would generally cross in to Germany at Ottmarsheim near Mulhouse and then run the last bit down on the German side to the border.
robinhood_1984:
If it was such a great thing, why didn’t you park up and show some respect for their laws?
I new that would come back to bite me! Because I was driving for a UK company which like all UK companies have annihilated Sundays. This might be a step forward for the ‘free world’ but it has deteriorated conditions for the working man. There were always ‘essential’ jobs on a Sunday but now it has become just another day. Family life (and wages) have suffered as a result. IMHO!
Hexhome:
robinhood_1984:
If it was such a great thing, why didn’t you park up and show some respect for their laws?I new that would come back to bite me! Because I was driving for a UK company which like all UK companies have annihilated Sundays. This might be a step forward for the ‘free world’ but it has deteriorated conditions for the working man. There were always ‘essential’ jobs on a Sunday but now it has become just another day. Family life (and wages) have suffered as a result. IMHO!
I understand what you’re saying and definetely dont disagree. Running out on a sunday is often a grim prospect but at the same time we’ve both been on the other end of the stick and had times where by not being able to run on a sunday in France for example, just means we’ve taken a rest period there and as soon as we get back we get turned around and go longer without getting home. If things were changed in the UK to mirror France, I dont think industry would change its requirements for sunday deliveries, or first thing monday morning deliveries. I reckon we’d still have that and as a result we’d face two choices, either run out saturday and be weekended ready for monday morning (or start work at 00:01 and have to waste all sunday sleeping anyway), or turn the work down and watch while 10,000 trucks from PL/LT/BG/RO load for example in Bristol on Friday afternoon, run up to Glasgow for Saturday night and then tip on Monday without batting an eyelid. I’m not saying thats right, I just think thats what would happen, especially once cabotage is abolished totally in the future.