TVDE Working Time Record: What the Law Requires

Driving 12 hours straight might look great for your earnings — until an inspector asks for your working time record and you don't have one. In TVDE, tracking your hours behind the wheel isn't an optional good habit: it's a legal obligation.

Many drivers only discover this rule when it's too late. The TVDE working time record protects you from fatigue, but also from the authorities — and anyone driving on multiple platforms at once faces a risk they rarely see coming. This guide explains what the law requires, how to keep the record in practice, and where the traps are.

What is the TVDE working time record

The TVDE working time record is a log of your driving, activity and rest periods. It isn't red tape for its own sake: it exists to prevent driver fatigue — the same logic that has applied for decades to heavy-goods and passenger-transport drivers.

Lei 45/2018, which regulates TVDE activity in Portugal, sets limits on daily driving and activity time and imposes mandatory rest periods. The goal is clear: a rested driver is a safer driver, both for you and for your passengers.

This record must be available for inspection by the authorities, notably the ACT — Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho (Portugal's labour conditions authority). If you're stopped in an inspection and can't show how you managed your hours, the situation turns against you.

What are the driving time limits

Lei 45/2018 does not leave the hours to each driver's judgement: it sets a ceiling on driving and activity time and requires breaks after certain periods behind the wheel. These figures are the foundation of your whole record — without knowing them, you can't know when you must stop.

We've already detailed these limits, with the concrete hours and what they mean for your working day, in a dedicated article. Before setting up your record, read it to get the exact values: see the TVDE hour limits in Portugal.

The hidden-hours trap across multiple platforms

Here's the point that catches most drivers off guard. Platforms like Uber and Bolt automatically log the time you're connected and, after a continuous driving period, force you to rest before accepting new trips. On its own, each app seems to stay within the law.

The problem appears when you work on more than one platform at the same time. Uber doesn't know how many hours you did on Bolt, and vice versa. The hours are not combined automatically — but the law counts your total time at the wheel, regardless of which app you opened.

This is exactly why your own record exists: to bring together what the platforms keep separate. Inspectors won't accept "the app let me keep going" as an excuse.

How to keep the record in practice

The good news is the law doesn't demand a complicated system. It demands consistency. You have three practical options:

• Manual log — a notebook or sheet where you note the start and end of each shift, driving periods and rest breaks. Simple and always valid, as long as you keep it up to date.
• Spreadsheet — a file (Excel or Google Sheets) with columns for date, start time, end time, platform and rest. It lets you automatically sum the total combined time across apps.
• Time-tracking app — there are apps built to log driving and rest, useful especially for those doing many hours or several platforms.

Whatever the method, always log: date, start time, end time, actual driving time and rest periods. If you work across several platforms, identify each one so you can prove the total.

What happens if you don't have the record

Not keeping the record — or not complying with it — is no harmless slip. The consequences come from two sides: fines issued during inspections and the risk of account suspension on the platform, which detects and penalises patterns of excessive driving.

Losing your Uber or Bolt account means losing your income source overnight. And a fine eats several days of earnings. Keeping the record in order is, at heart, protecting your business — not just ticking a formality.

This is, in fact, one of the checklist items every driver should have in order before starting. If you're still organising your entry into the activity, see the full guide: what you need after the CMTVDE to start working.

Start controlling your hours now

Don't leave the record for "when you have time". Start today, even with a simple sheet — it's the cheapest way to avoid fines and drive with a clear head.

At Arterian we help our drivers keep their activity compliant, from time records to the rest of the documentation. Get in touch if you have questions about how to organise your working hours.

Not sure whether you're within the driving limits? Contact us on WhatsApp or by email and we'll help you get your record in order.