Skip to main content

Brazil’s haulage firms face more costs due to strict new legislation

The Brazilian haulage sector is in the process of adjusting to a new bill set to come into force soon that will regulate compulsory driver resting periods. Law 12.619 means drivers must have a minimum resting period of 30 minutes for every four hours on the road. In addition, they must stop for one hour at lunch time, and they need to rest 11 hours for every 24 hours worked.
September 17, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The Brazilian haulage sector is in the process of adjusting to a new bill set to come into force soon that will regulate compulsory driver resting periods.

Law 12.619 means drivers must have a minimum resting period of 30 minutes for every four hours on the road. In addition, they must stop for one hour at lunch time, and they need to rest 11 hours for every 24 hours worked.

The rule changes have been criticised by some haulage firms and prompted many to increase their staffing levels and/or their contract outsourcing. The expenditure associated with complying with the new haulage sector regulations is said to represent a 40% cost rise for the majority of companies.

One company, Gafor, said it had managed to adjust some 70% of its contracts, while the price of its freight service could increase by up to 30% due to the greater number of vehicles and drivers on the road. Another firm, JSL, has also introduced operating changes: with drivers now having to log their stoppage times. The company relies on 7,000 drivers and still continues to recruit among this staff category. 6571 MIRA Transportes said it will have to increase its long distance (over 600km) service drivers by 30%. The company has a 550 vehicle fleet.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • What kind of future is there for road tolls?
    November 12, 2013
    Hugh Basham, transport strategy and policy director, UK and Ireland, at DHL Supply Chain, enters the ongoing global debate around the use of road tolls Road pricing has always polarised opinion. Whilst road users - who are already struggling to cope with high fuel prices and insurance premiums – may resent the additional expense, environmentalists and frequent drivers often welcome the introduction of tolls as offering an escape from gridlocked roads. Charging to use the road network isn’t a new phenomenon
  • RetroTek: standards are key
    December 12, 2022
    Accurate retroreflectivity measurements of line markings across the full lane width has become even more important after the US adoption of minimum levels of retroreflectivity.
  • New machines competing in ADT market
    February 19, 2013
    All-wheel-drive trucks for the Chinese market - Mike Woof reports. One noticeable development at the bauma China exhibition in Shanghai in late 2012 was the proliferation of ADT models. Doosan and Volvo showed some of their latest ADT variants alongside their latest excavators and are keen to highlight the benefits of ADTs for use on sites where traction or grade may be an issue for rigid trucks or on/off highway haulers. However Caterpillar chose to highlight its off-highway rigid trucks at bauma China, as
  • Trimble’s vision of a far more efficient future
    July 5, 2021
    Trimble is offering a future with more efficient, optimised construction operations for faster project delivery