Drivers' hours and tachographs

By the end of this topic you can

• You can say which set of drivers' hours rules applies to a vehicle.
• You can state the daily, weekly and fortnightly driving limits.
• You can plan breaks so you never drive more than 4 hours 30 minutes without one.
• You can explain daily and weekly rest, including when they can be reduced.
• You can describe what a tachograph does and why your records must be accurate.

What you need to know and understand

• The assimilated rules apply to goods vehicles or combinations over 3.5 tonnes in the UK and on journeys to, from or through the EU.
• Daily driving is limited to 9 hours, which can be extended to 10 hours twice a week.
• Weekly driving must not exceed 56 hours, and 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks.
• After no more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving, you must take a break totalling at least 45 minutes.
• Daily rest is at least 11 hours, which can be reduced to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests.
• Weekly rest is 45 hours unbroken, which can be reduced to 24 hours every other week. It is due after 6 consecutive 24-hour periods.
• Under the GB domestic rules for goods vehicles, the limits are 10 hours driving a day and 11 hours on duty.
• Northern Ireland has its own drivers' hours rules.

The numbers at a glance

These are the assimilated rules most HGV drivers work under. They are maximums, not targets, and they sit alongside separate working time rules that limit your total working week.

• Daily driving: 9 hours, or 10 hours twice a week
• Weekly driving: 56 hours
• Fortnightly driving: 90 hours in any two consecutive weeks
• Break: at least 45 minutes after 4 hours 30 minutes of driving
• Daily rest: 11 hours, or 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests
• Weekly rest: 45 hours, or 24 hours every other week

Planning a shift: a worked example

Planning is the easiest way to stay legal. Here is how a simple day could look for a driver starting at 6am.

• The 45-minute break can be split into two parts: at least 15 minutes, then at least 30 minutes, in that order.

1. Drive from 6:00 to 10:30, which is 4 hours 30 minutes, the most you can drive before a break.
2. Take a 45-minute break, doing no other work.
3. Drive again, up to another 4 hours 30 minutes, which brings the day to 9 hours of driving.
4. Finish and take at least 11 hours of daily rest before driving again.
5. Keep track of your weekly total so you stay under 56 hours this week and 90 hours over two weeks.

How tachographs record your day

A tachograph records driving time, speed, distance, other work, breaks and rest. Most lorries now have digital tachographs, which use a personal driver card issued by DVLA. You put the card in at the start of your shift, choose the right mode for each activity, and take it out at the end. Older vehicles use analogue tachographs with paper charts.

Your records must be accurate and complete. Driving without your card, using someone else's card, or interfering with a tachograph are serious offences. If your card is lost or faulty, follow the gov.uk rules for manual records and report it to DVLA promptly.

When the GB domestic rules apply instead

The GB domestic rules cover goods vehicles under 3.5 tonnes used for business in England, Scotland and Wales, and vehicles exempt from the assimilated rules. They allow up to 10 hours of driving and 11 hours on duty in a day. The vans pages on this site cover these rules in more detail.

Common mistakes

• Treating 'other work' such as loading as a break. A break means no driving and no other work.
• Forgetting the 10-hour day can only be used twice a week.
• Losing track of the fortnightly 90-hour limit after a busy week.
• Leaving the tachograph on the wrong mode. Check it each time you stop.
• Splitting the break the wrong way round. The 15 minutes must come before the 30 minutes.

Test yourself: Drivers' hours and tachographs

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.