Driving a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) isn’t quite like taking your car for a spin, with multiple strict regulations making the whole experience very different. Among other differences, there are restrictions on how long an HGV driver can be on the road before a break.
Wondering ‘How many hours can a HGV driver work in a day?’, we’ll answer this exact question and more for you in this Smith Bros blog.
If you’re looking for pre-owned trucks for sale from a reputable dealership with decades of experience in the industry, look no further than Smith Bros. Specialists in used trucks, we offer quality vehicles at competitive prices to our customers, providing a range of Scania trucks, tractor units, crane-trucks and much more. If you can’t find the exact truck you’re looking for, simply contact us and we’ll do our best to source the vehicle for you.
But, that’s enough about who we are, let’s get stuck into HGV working hours, breaks and much more.
So, how many hours can a HGV driver work in a day?
To prevent driver fatigue and drastically reduce the likelihood of accidents, HGV drivers are prevented from driving over a certain established number of hours each day and week. These rules are standardised across all EU countries, with the UK still abiding by these regulations.
Daily HGV driving limits
HGV working time regulations include the following legal obligations and requirements:
- A maximum daily driving time of no more than 9 hours a day.
- This figure can, however, be extended to 10 hours twice a week.
- Mandatory break times
- Driving data should be recorded on a tachograph.
Weekly HGV driving limits
The maximum working time for HGV drivers over a week is 56 hours. This figure isn’t the only one that you have to take into consideration, however, when partaking in fleet management. In addition, to avoid overworking employees, workers are not allowed to drive for over 90 hours over a consecutive two-week period.
To clarify this 90-hour cap, this means that if you drove for 50 hours in one week, in a consecutive week you wouldn’t legally be allowed to exceed 40 hours of HGV driving time.
What is a HGV?
Let’s clarify the basics. HGV stands for Heavy Goods Vehicle, with the label applying to any goods-carrying vehicle that is designed to have a maximum weight exceeding 3,500 kg, as defined by HM Revenue & Customs. All of the used vehicles that we offer at Smith Bros are defined as HGVs, including flatbed trucks, tippers and rigid lorries.
If you’re on the search for different types of pre-owned HGVs for sale, Smith Bros is your perfect destination. Not only do we sell used vehicles, but we’ll also buy your current truck, so why not trade your truck and upgrade from our vast collection of quality pre-owned HGVs?
Mandatory breaks for HGV drivers
There’s a lot more to a HGV break than meets the eye. For example, there are specific guidelines that outline what is rest and what isn’t. During rest periods a driver cannot take part in anything to do with work, including everything from driving to loading and unloading. With that being said, drivers are permitted to rest and even sleep inside their HGVs as long as they are parked in a safe place!
The key points to remember regarding HGV break times include:
- For every 4.5 hours of driving, a break of no less than 45 minutes must be taken. This can be in multiple breaks if necessary, as long as the second break is no shorter than 30 minutes.
- 11 hours of rest should be taken each day – this can be reduced to 9 hours, 3 times between any 2 weekly rest periods.
- Weekly rest must be taken after 6 consecutive 24-hour periods of working.
- Drivers must take an unbroken rest period of 45 hours per week. This can be reduced to 24 hours every other week.
Why do HGV drivers have to take breaks?
Taking necessary HGV breaks is incredibly important for the safety of the driver and all other road users. As reported by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSA), almost 800 drivers stated that they nearly crashed and caused a major collision due to driver fatigue, with an added third of truck drivers participating in the study admitting to falling asleep at the wheel.
To combat driver fatigue and adhere to road safety standards, taking break periods seriously is a legal requirement as well as a moral responsibility.
What is the Working Time Directive?
The Working Time Directive (WTD) was introduced by the EU to standardise maximum working hours, upholding public health, safety and wellbeing in the process. The UK government tailored these guidelines in 1998 with the Working Time Regulations to create a more detailed document on working hours and rest breaks for all jobs, including HGV driving.
What is classed as working time?
It may sound like a silly question since the clue to what a HGV driver does is in the name. But hauling cargo on the open road isn’t the only responsibility employees bear. Indeed, anything associated with operating the vehicle, be it driving or maintenance, is considered work and should, therefore, be factored into when workers must take mandatory breaks.
In addition to the operation of the vehicle, the following activities are also regarded as work:
- Loading and unloading.
- Cleaning and general maintenance of the vehicle.
- Driver CPC training or other relevant training courses.
- Daily vehicle defect checks and reports
- Time when a driver is required to wait before being deployed.
- Conducting a HGV safety inspection.
What isn’t classed as working time?
While anything to do with operating and maintaining a vehicle or partaking in training that would better your skills would be considered as working time, activities outside of this remit are often seen as personal time. For example, travelling from your home to your operational facility and place of work does not count within your working hours. In addition, breaks accrued throughout the day are also exempt from this.
Can drivers be exempt from HGV break rules?
In some unique cases, drivers may be exempt from following HGV rules concerning mandatory break periods. These exemptions are collated on the government emergency and temporary relaxation of driver’s hours information page, detailing a comprehensive list of events and situations where the usual rules do not apply.
Such exemptions include:
Unforeseen circumstances: (e.g. road traffic accidents, severe weather, mechanical breakdown).
Reaching a suitable destination: Depending on the cargo an HGV is hauling, specific destinations may have to be reached that could add time to their journey. Examples include if a driver is carrying perishable goods that need to be taken to a refrigeration facility, or if they are transporting live animals that require care at a specific location.
Reaching a place of rest: In some circumstances, drivers are exempt from the normal rules to reach the operational centre of the employee or their own home.
Emergency situations: Normal driving regulations can be suspended in emergency situations where a driver needs to take action to avoid:
- Danger to their life or others.
- Serious property damage.
What is a tachograph?
A tachograph is a unique piece of apparatus installed in an HGV to record the driving time, break periods, speed and distance of a particular journey. Tachographs must be used by all HGV operators in the UK, and it is the responsibility of both the driver and the operational managers to ensure that the equipment is properly functioning, otherwise, they may face penalties.
Older vehicles may be fitted with an analogue tachograph that requires wax paper sheets to be loaded into the machine before every journey. Meanwhile, modern HGVs will be fitted with digital tachographs that require a driver to enter their unique ID smart card, with all journey details being stored on this card before later being checked by management for proper compliance. Digital tachographs can be a useful tool for management to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleet.
Why do truck drivers need to use a tachograph?
Using a tachograph is an essential part of HGV driver training, with improper use of them potentially resulting in serious fines and sanctions for the employee and company. Tachographs ensure that a company is adhering to strict EU regulations on drivers’ hours, maintaining health and safety standards by reducing driver fatigue at the very same time. By monitoring the tachographs of drivers, companies can also monitor the compliance of their employees and even help maintain fleet management and truck maintenance.
What are the penalties for failing to comply with HGV driving regulations?
Adhering to HGV driving regulations under EU law is the responsibility of both drivers and operational management. The consequences of not complying with these regulations can vary greatly, ranging from fines to possible prison sentences if flagrant disregard of common practices takes place.
Penalties can include:
- A prohibition notice.
- Fines of varying severity.
- Points on a driver’s license.
- Verbal warnings for very minor infractions.
More serious fines and penalties can be imposed if it is found that tachograph information has been manipulated to deceive the relevant authorities. In these situations, companies and individuals can face charges in excess of £5000 and even a two-year prison sentence.
Still wondering how many hours can an HGV driver work in a day? Contact Smith Bros
Still have questions? Contact us today to get all the answers you need to start maximising the performance of your fleet.
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FAQ
How many hours can a HGV driver work in a day?
On most occasions, an HGV driver should not exceed a maximum daily driving time of nine hours.
How many hours can an HGV driver work in a week?
HGV drivers cannot exceed 56 hours of work over the course of a week. To avoid overworking, HGV driver hours are limited to 90 hours over a consecutive two-week period.
What counts as a break from HGV driving?
A 45-minute break period should be taken for every 4.5 hours of HGV driving. A break from HGV driving can include a rest inside or outside a vehicle as long as you’re not taking part in normal working activities, including driving, manoeuvring, loading or unloading.
Can an HGV driver do a 15-hour shift?
Yes, an HGV driver can do a 15-hour shift, as long as they remain within normal regulations and achieve 9 hours of daily rest time within a 24-hour period. As a result, it’s possible for an HGV driver to carry out three 15-hour working days within a week while still keeping within industry standards. With such long working hours, however, extra due diligence should be taken in regard to fatigue and break periods.
