Switzerland and the European Union: the same rules, with a few differences
Anyone driving in Switzerland applies OLR 1 (the Drivers' Hours Ordinance, SR 822.221); anyone crossing the border applies Regulation (EC) 561/2006 and, for the tachograph, Regulation (EU) 165/2014. Driving and rest limits almost always coincide: the differences that matter are few, and TachoGest knows both sets. You pick the profile in the settings, and every threshold stays editable.
The rules TachoGest checks
| Rule | Switzerland · OLR 1 | European Union · 561/2006 | In TachoGest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily driving | 9 h, up to 10 h twice a week | identical | Checked between two rest periods, counting the extensions used |
| Weekly driving | 56 h | identical | Week from Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00, with the remainder |
| Fortnightly driving | 90 h | identical | Over every pair of consecutive weeks |
| Break | 45 min after 4 h 30 (also 15 + 30) | identical | Split breaks recognised |
| Daily rest | 11 h, reduced 9 h, split 3 + 9 h | identical | Type of rest shown day by day |
| Weekly rest | 45 h, reduced to 24 h with compensation | identical | Compensation still owed and when it falls due |
| Working time different | 48 h average over 26 weeks, 60 h maximum (art. 6 OLR 1) | same limits, from Directive 2002/15/EC | Average over 26 weeks, including hours worked for other employers |
| Card download different | at least every 21 days | at least every 28 days | Limit in days per profile, editable |
| Vehicle unit download different | at least every 3 months | at least every 90 days | A reminder for every vehicle |
| Data retention different | 3 years (art. 18 OLR 1) | 1 year for checks, 2 years for social documentation | Archive with no time limit, original files included |
| Scope different | over 3.5 t; exceptions in art. 3 and 4 OLR 1 | over 3.5 t; from 1.7.2026 also vans over 2.5 t in international transport | Set per vehicle: exempt vehicles raise no false alarms |
| Attestation of activities | FEDRO form | EU form (Decision 2009/959/EU) | Printable per driver and period |
| Record / documents | weekly record, art. 16 OLR 1 | tachograph records and attestations | Weekly record and inspection dossier in PDF |
The difference you notice most: 21 days against 28
A driver card has a limited memory: once it is full, the oldest days are overwritten and lost for good. That is why FEDRO, applying OLR 1, requires the card to be downloaded at least every 21 days, a week sooner than the European deadline of 28 days: it is a safety margin, not a whim. Anyone running international transport must meet the stricter of the two, which in practice means the Swiss 21 days. TachoGest counts the days for every driver and every vehicle, shows how many are left and flags whoever is late; the limit moves to 28 days in the settings, for those working only within the European Union.
TachoGest is a support tool: the values and references on this page are a summary and replace neither the text of the ordinances and regulations nor expert advice. The official versions published on fedlex.admin.ch and eur-lex.europa.eu prevail.
One program, two profiles
In the settings you choose the rule profile: OLR 1 for Switzerland or Regulation (EC) 561/2006 for the European Union. The thresholds and download intervals change, the way you work does not. Every value stays editable one by one, and the scope is set per vehicle: an exempt vehicle should not produce infringements that do not exist.
Archive and evidence
Original files are kept exactly as they come out of the tachograph, with their digital signatures, alongside the processed data. The inspection dossier sums up the company's position for the period requested in a single document, in Switzerland and abroad alike.
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