Photo: Polisen Stockholm - Trafik

Lorry driver fails to blag his way out of penalty for weekly rest in the cab

HGV inspectors in Sweden have told of how a lorry driver from Romania failed to blag his employer out of a fine for spending weekly rest in the cab.

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As reported by Swedish road transport website Tidningen Proffs, which regularly shadows truck inspectors in Sweden, the incident occurred during checks in Västerås earlier this month.

The article states that a Romanian driver who was questioned about where he slept during his ongoing weekly rest period had claimed he spent the night at a friend’s house nearby.

After officers asked him where it was and to provide an address, the trucker claimed it was dark when he was picked up and that he didn’t know.

The lorry driver then showed officers a WhatsApp conversation from last summer and claimed that he stayed with the person he had been in dialogue with.

The police then called the individual, who said he had not picked anyone up the previous night.

Realising the game was then up, the lorry driver admitted he had spent his weekly rest in the cab.

He reportedly told officers that he does have access to an apartment in the Danish city of Aarhus when conducting transport in Denmark. However, when in Sweden, he has no such possibility and sleeps in the cab.

The police inevitably issued a fine for the offence, but it is the driver’s employer who shall have to pick up the tab.

According to Tidningen Proffs, after the Romanian haulier remonstated over the phone, the 40,000 SEK fee (around €3,580) was paid before the end of the day.