HGV Drivers' Hours and the Working Time Directive Explained Simply

Ask ten drivers to explain drivers' hours and the Working Time Directive and you will get ten different answers. Both sets of rules matter, they cover different things, and mixing them up is how drivers end up with infringements. Here is the simple version.

Two sets of rules, two different jobs

Drivers' hours rules are about driving time and rest. They are what your tachograph records. The Working Time Directive (WTD) is about your total working week, which includes things like loading, unloading, checking the vehicle and waiting to be loaded.

• →Drivers' hours: how long you can drive, when you must take a break, how much rest you need.
• →Working Time Directive: how many hours you can work in total across the week, including non-driving work.
• →You have to keep to both at the same time. Being legal on one does not make you legal on the other.

The main drivers' hours limits

These are the headline limits for most Class 1 work on UK and European routes. Always check the latest detail on gov.uk, because the rules can differ slightly depending on the type of journey.

• →Daily driving: 9 hours, which you can stretch to 10 hours twice a week.
• →Weekly driving: no more than 56 hours.
• →Fortnightly driving: no more than 90 hours across any two weeks in a row.
• →Breaks: a 45 minute break after 4 and a half hours of driving. You can split it into a 15 minute break followed by a 30 minute break.
• →Daily rest: 11 hours in every 24, which can be reduced to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests.
• →Weekly rest: a regular weekly rest is 45 hours, and it can be reduced to 24 hours in some weeks if you make it up later.

What the Working Time Directive adds

The WTD looks at everything you do for work, not just the hours behind the wheel. Time spent loading, coaching a trailer, fuelling, cleaning the cab or waiting for a slot all counts as working time. Breaks and periods of availability where you are free to do what you like do not.

• →Average of 48 hours a week, worked out over a reference period (usually 17 weeks).
• →No more than 60 hours in any single week.
• →If you work night hours, no more than 10 hours in any 24 hour period.
• →A break of at least 15 minutes if you work between 6 and 9 hours, and at least 30 minutes if you work more than 9 hours.
• →You should not work more than 6 hours without a break.

Many self-employed drivers are treated differently under the WTD, but the rules on driving time and rest still apply to everyone. If you are not sure where you stand, ask before you start, not after a roadside check.

How to stay out of trouble

• →Check your remaining driving time before you set off, not when you are already tired and short on time.
• →Plan your break and your parking early. Good parking fills up fast, especially around the ports.
• →Make sure you record other work properly on the tacho, so your working time is correct.
• →Never rush to finish a delivery by stretching your hours. An infringement stays on your record, and the fine is not worth it.
• →If a job cannot be done legally, tell your agency or transport office as early as you can. A good one will sort it out rather than push you.

“Adam made the registration process easy, got me started quickly and kept in contact to make sure everything was going well.”

Why this matters when you choose an agency

A good agency does not ask you to bend the rules. It books work that can be done legally and listens when you say a schedule does not add up. Ask any agency how they handle drivers' hours before you sign up. If the answer is vague, move on.

At BWN we guarantee a minimum of £1,000 for a five-day week, which is a minimum of £200 per shift across five shifts, Monday to Friday. If a shift runs short you still get your £200. If it runs long, the hourly rate applies, which can be up to £25 per hour depending on the job. You are paid from tacho card in to tacho card out, with no break deductions, and we pay weekly.