Following the implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law and Decree 168/2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Logistics Association has highlighted difficulties faced by transport businesses, including potential reduced foreign direct investment attraction.
Specifically, the Road Traffic Safety Law mandates that a commercial driver cannot drive more than 10 hours per day or 48 hours per week, with no more than 4 continuous driving hours.
Truck drivers face 4-hour limits but can't stop due to traffic jams and lack of rest stops – 1Cat Lai Port, Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Dan Tri).
The association points out that Vietnam’s infrastructure is still not synchronized, failing to ensure smooth traffic flow; traffic congestion is frequent, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Additionally, some routes lack rest stops. Drivers must leave the highway to find places to stop.
“The regulation limiting driving time to 10 hours per day and 48 hours per week in the current driver shortage makes it difficult for businesses to recruit, affecting operations. The short driving time also leads to wasted time and labor,” the Vietnam Logistics Association reported.
During the weeks leading up to the Tet At Ty 2025 holiday, severe and prolonged traffic congestion was concentrated mainly around ports in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong.
According to the association’s statistics, a truck from factories in Binh Duong and Dong Nai takes 5-6 hours to reach Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City to unload export containers, resulting in a 25-30% backlog of exported goods.
The causes include insufficient transportation vehicles to ports for export procedures, combined with mandatory 4-hour breaks for drivers, causing chain traffic jams on highways and port areas.
Based on these issues, the Ho Chi Minh City Logistics Association recommends government leaders and relevant ministries adjust regulations to better fit Vietnam’s实际情况。
