End of Brazil's 6x1 shift: what changes for freight fleets

The discussion about ending the 6×1 schedule (six days of work for one day off) has advanced in Brazil's National Congress and has become one of the most relevant topics for anyone who manages a road freight transport fleet in 2026.

The proposal to reduce the working week is still moving through Congress, but the status of the proposals has changed: PEC 221/19, a proposed constitutional amendment, was approved in the Chamber of Deputies and sent to the Senate; PEC 8/25 was rendered moot and shelved; and bill PL 1.838/2026 began moving under a priority procedure with conclusive committee review. If any change is approved for good, the impact is likely to show up in the cost structure, in how shift schedules are organized and in driver availability.

What is moving through Congress

Currently, three proposals concentrate the discussion in the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate:

PEC 8/25, by Congresswoman Erika Hilton, proposed the 4×3 model (four days of work and three of rest) with working hours limited to 36 per week. The proposal was attached to PEC 221/19 and was later rendered moot and shelved.

PEC 221/19, by Congressman Reginaldo Lopes, also provides for 36 hours per week, but with gradual implementation over ten years.

PEC 221/19 was approved by the full Chamber and sent to the Federal Senate. As a result, the current status reported by the Chamber is that it awaits consideration by the Senate, no longer that it awaits a special committee.

In parallel, the Federal Government sent bill PL 1.838/2026, which proposes a middle path: a reduction in the normal length of work and rules on paid weekly rest for the workers it specifies. The urgency requested for the bill was withdrawn, and it now moves under a priority procedure with conclusive committee review, analyzed by the Labor Committee and by the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee.

Motta stated that the issue is “the most important matter in the Chamber in 2026”.

What changes for road freight transport

Road freight transport is an essential activity that operates continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This characteristic makes the industry particularly sensitive to changes in working hours, which already need to comply with Brazil's Driver Law.

The main points of impact revolve around operating costs, the driver shortage, and long-distance logistics and routes.

Operating costs

According to a study coordinated by sociologist José Pastore (USP, the University of São Paulo) and economist Paulo Rabello de Castro, reducing working hours without a proportional reduction in salaries would cause a 10% increase in the value of the hour worked.

In the transport industry, where 92.5% of professionals already work within the current working-hours limit, the impact on personnel costs would be 8.6%.

Driver shortage

Brazil's National Transport Confederation (CNT) estimates that the financial impact on the industry could reach R$ 11.88 billion, with the need for approximately 240,000 new hires to maintain the same level of operation.

However, the industry already lives with a chronic shortage of professional drivers.

According to a CNT survey, 65% of transport companies report difficulty hiring drivers. In road freight transport specifically, 44.6% of companies have open positions, and more than half of them have more than five unfilled positions.

With shorter working hours, carriers will need more drivers to cover the same demand for hours, worsening the existing problem.

Long-distance logistics

Finally, road transport, especially in Brazil, requires long trips and overnight stays. Adapting to a lower weekly limit will require stricter control of drivers' working hours.

In addition, it may lead companies to set up driver relay systems midway along the route, expand the use of support points and distribution centers for swapping drivers, and review delivery deadlines (SLAs) with customers.

The discussion is still in progress, and the final form of the change, if there is one, may differ from what each text proposes. But the advance of PEC 221/19 to the Senate, the shelving of PEC 8/25 and the priority processing of bill PL 1.838/2026 indicate that the issue remains alive. Keeping track of the legislative process and anticipating the impacts on the operation is what separates the manager who prepares from the one who reacts later.

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Frequently asked questions

What is moving through Brazil's Congress on ending the 6x1 schedule?

In Brazil, PEC 221/19, a proposed constitutional amendment, was approved by the full Chamber of Deputies and sent to the Senate, providing for a reduction of the working week to 36 hours over ten years. PEC 8/25, which dealt with a reduction to four days per week, was attached to PEC 221/19, was rendered moot and was shelved. Bill PL 1.838/2026 remains in the Chamber under a priority procedure with conclusive committee review, analyzed by the Labor Committee and by the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee.

What is the impact of ending the 6x1 schedule on carriers' costs?

In Brazil, a study coordinated by José Pastore (USP, the University of São Paulo) and Paulo Rabello de Castro indicates that reducing working hours without reducing salaries would raise the value of the hour worked by 10%. In transport, where 92.5% of professionals already work within the current limit, the estimated effect on the payroll is 8.6%. CNT, Brazil's National Transport Confederation, calculates a financial impact on the industry that could reach R$ 11.88 billion.

Does reducing working hours worsen the driver shortage?

Yes, that is what the scenario indicates. To sustain the current level of operation in Brazil, CNT, the National Transport Confederation, calculates that around 240,000 more drivers would be needed, in an industry where 65% of companies already report difficulty hiring. In road freight alone, 44.6% of companies have open positions, and in more than half of them there are more than five. Shorter working hours require more drivers for the same hours.

What changes in long-distance trips with shorter working hours?

A lower weekly limit requires stricter control of drivers' working hours, which in Brazil usually involve long trips and overnight stays. Companies may need to set up driver relays midway along the route, use more support points and distribution centers where the driver is swapped, and renegotiate delivery deadlines (SLAs) with customers.

Has the end of the 6x1 schedule already been approved?

In Brazil, there is still no definitive change in force. PEC 221/19, a proposed constitutional amendment, was approved in the Chamber of Deputies and sent to the Senate, PEC 8/25 was rendered moot and shelved, and bill PL 1.838/2026 is still moving through the Chamber. The final form, if there is a change, may differ from what each text proposes, but the issue keeps advancing in Congress.

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