The subject of the ban on taking the 45-hour rest in the cabin of the truck arouses many emotions, both in the East and in the West of Europe. The ways of enterprises to “evade” the regulations, for example the construction of “hotels” for drivers, seem to be equally controversial.
Don Trucking, a company with branches in Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands, has decided to invest in hotels for drivers. This is a response to the Dutch introduction of a ban on taking the regular weekly rest in the cabin of a truck. Similar regulations have been in force since last year in Germany and since 2014 also in Belgium and France. The carrier, wishing to avoid fines for violations arising from the new prohibition, decided to create a suitable resting place for its employees – drivers coming mainly from Poland and Romania.
According to the Dutch transport portal ttm.nl, Don Trucking wants its drivers to “enjoy weekend rest in tidy conditions.” A trucker hotel will be built in the Dutch town of Ulft. There will be 10 rooms with a total of 26 places to sleep, and sanitary areas. Dinner and breakfast will be available to the drivers. They will also be able to use the kitchen.
The employer also thought about entertainment for his employees – they will have at their disposal a gym, a tennis table, and a TV lounge with Netflix. As emphasised by ttm.nl, they will not be able to buy, bring in or consume alcohol on the site. Unfortunately, there is no parking area next to the hotel, so the trucks will have to be left near the old border crossing in Beek – the drivers will be provided with go and return buses.
A similar facility was set up in the Dutch city of Venlo – it will accommodate 30 people. Unfortunately, it has not been equipped with a TV lounge and a gym, but you can safely park the truck nearby, as there is a fenced and monitored parking lot next to the building.
What do you think about this solution?
“Example for others”
Don Trucking director, Don de Jong, believes that his approach to drivers is quite appropriate and that it will also be appreciated by the company’s clients, who will bear the investment’s costs, included in their payments for transport. De Jong wants to set an example for other entrepreneurs from the transport industry.
We, however, wonder if this was the intention behind the tightening of the regulations on regular weekly rest?
The Austrians’ idea
The ban on spending the 45-hour break in the truck cabin, introduced by the Germans last May, is a problem not only for Eastern European carriers. Austrians are also looking for an alternative to cabin accommodation.
The Dutch transport association TLN published in August last year a visualisation of a hotel project for drivers, drawn up by the Austrian company Asfinag. It was a response to the ban on spending the 45-hour break in the cabin of a truck in Germany. Should the drivers sleep in such conditions?
Their cramped interiors, bunk beds with blinds to ensure privacy, did not appeal to Dutch drivers. They were not convinced by Internet access or showers. It is hard to blame them.
