HGV & Transport Logbooks · Filed 28 Apr 2026

Working Time Directive Breaks for UK HGV Drivers: The Complete Rules (2026)

A UK HGV driver's complete guide to breaks under the Working Time Directive and EU 561/2006, 45-minute breaks, 11-hour daily rest, 45-hour weekly rest, and the rare reductions.

By Jamie Dawson · Editor ▮ Updated 28 Jul 2026 ▮ 5 min read

A UK HGV driver, Working Time Directive and EU 561/2006 set strict break and rest requirements.

Quick answer: UK HGV drivers operate under two parallel rules: EU 561/2006 (drivers' hours, driving time, breaks, rest) and the Road Transport Directive 2005 (working time, total hours including loading, paperwork, training). Combined: 9 hours daily driving (10 twice/week), 45-min break after 4.5 hours, 11 hours daily rest, 56 hours driving in a week, 60 hours working time in a week, 45 hours weekly rest. DVSA enforces all of it, graduated fixed penalties, operator licence action, prosecution.

HGV breaks and rest rules are the most-fined area in UK road transport. They're also the most-misunderstood, drivers and operators routinely mix up the EU drivers' hours with the UK Road Transport Directive, then realise during DVSA roadside check that they've blown both. This guide separates them cleanly.

HGV breaks and rest: the limits at a glance

Rule	Limit	Source
Driving break	45 min after 4.5 h driving (splittable 15 + 30, in that order)	EU 561/2006
Daily driving	9 h (10 h up to twice a week)	EU 561/2006
Weekly / fortnightly driving	56 h / 90 h	EU 561/2006
Daily rest	11 h (9 h up to 3× between weekly rests; split 3 + 9 allowed)	EU 561/2006
Weekly rest	45 h (reduced 24 h every other week, with compensation)	EU 561/2006
Working-time break	30 min if working over 6 h; 45 min if over 9 h	RTD 2005
Weekly working time	48 h average (17/26-week reference); 60 h absolute max	RTD 2005
Night work	10 h in any 24-h period including night work	RTD 2005

This guide covers WTD break rules for HGV drivers. For the complete picture across all vehicle types, including the full Working Time Directive and EU/GB drivers’ hours limits, see our complete UK guide to the Working Time Directive and drivers’ hours.

The two parallel rules

EU Regulation 561/2006 (retained UK law), covers driving time, breaks, and rest periods
The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 (RTD), covers working time including loading, paperwork, training, waiting at depots when not POA

Both apply simultaneously. A driver can be compliant on driving hours and still breach RTD, or vice versa.

The 4.5-hour break rule

After 4.5 hours of accumulated driving, a 45-minute break must be taken before more driving. The break can be:

One unbroken 45-minute period, OR
Split into 15 + 30 minutes, the 15-minute portion first, then driving, then the 30-minute portion before reaching 4.5 hours total driving

The break cannot be split 30 + 15 (must be 15 then 30) or into smaller fragments. It cannot be taken while doing other work (loading, paperwork), must be a true break.

Daily driving and rest

Daily driving: 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours up to twice per week
Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours, reducible to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests (with no compensation required for the reduction)
Split daily rest: can be split as 3 + 9 hours where the second period is at least 9 hours
Daily rest must be taken within 24 hours of the end of the previous daily/weekly rest

Weekly driving and rest

Weekly driving: 56 hours maximum in a single week
Two-week cap: 90 hours of driving across any two consecutive weeks
Regular weekly rest: 45 hours uninterrupted
Reduced weekly rest: 24 hours minimum, allowed every other week. The reduction (45-24 = 21 hours) must be compensated by being attached to another rest period of at least 9 hours within the following 3 weeks
Weekly rest cannot be taken in the cab unless the cab has approved sleeping facilities

Working time under the RTD

The RTD 2005 caps working time, not just driving:

48-hour weekly average over a 17-week reference period (extendable to 26 weeks by collective agreement)
60-hour absolute weekly maximum
10-hour night work limit in any 24-hour period that includes night work (00:00-04:00 for goods, 01:00-05:00 for passenger)
Break entitlement: 30 minutes after 6 hours work, 45 minutes after 9 hours work. These RTD breaks usually subsume the EU 561 break

Working time includes driving + other duties (loading, fuelling, walkaround, paperwork, training, customs). It excludes Periods of Availability (POA, waiting where the driver is free to dispose of time).

Multi-manning rules

When two or more drivers share a vehicle, daily rest can be reduced to 9 hours within the 30-hour period from the start of duty. The second driver must be present from the start of the second hour of driving. Multi-manning extends the operation but each driver's individual hours remain capped.

Ferry and train derogation

When a daily rest period is interrupted by ferry/train transit, the rest can be split as 1 + 9 hours (where the 1 hour is for boarding/disembarking) provided the total daily rest is at least 11 hours (or 9 if reduced).

What DVSA looks for at roadside

Roadside check officers download the driver card and the vehicle unit. They check:

4.5-hour break compliance
9/10-hour daily driving
11/9-hour daily rest
56-hour weekly driving
90-hour two-week driving
45/24-hour weekly rest
Manual entries reconciling card gaps
Tachograph manipulation indicators

Penalties for breaches

DVSA uses a graduated fixed penalty system:

Minor breaches (e.g., 1-30 min over): £50 fixed penalty
Moderate breaches (e.g., 30 min - 2 hours over): £100-£200
Serious breaches (2+ hours, multiple offences, falsification): £300-£1,500 fixed, or court summons
Operator licence consequences: repeated infringements → Traffic Commissioner action (warning, curtailment, revocation)

Drivers and operators are jointly liable. The driver is fined personally; the operator is held accountable for management and culture.

A compliant day: worked example

Here is a fully compliant maximum-length day under both rule sets, starting at 06:00:

06:00: walkaround check and loading (45 min, counts as working time)
06:45: drive 2 h 15 min
09:00: 15-minute break (first part of the split)
09:15: drive 2 h 15 min (4.5 h driving accumulated)
11:30: 30-minute break (completes the 45-minute split; also satisfies the RTD break due before 6 h of work)
12:00: drive 3 h
15:00: unloading and paperwork (1 h, working time)
16:00 (drive 1 h 30 min (daily driving now 9 h) at the limit)
17:30: fuel and debrief (15 min); off duty at 17:45

Totals: 9 h driving (at the daily limit, no extension used), roughly 10 h 45 min working time with 45 minutes of breaks taken. An 11-hour daily rest from 17:45 allows the next duty to start no earlier than 04:45, which also fits inside the 24-hour window that began at 06:00. Push any single element further and something else breaks: that is why realistic scheduling, not driver willpower, is what keeps operations legal.

Common mistakes

Counting a 45-minute "lunch" with admin/paperwork as a break, only true rest counts
Splitting the 45-minute break as 30 + 15 instead of 15 + 30
Reducing daily rest more than 3 times between weekly rests
Taking a 45-hour weekly rest in the cab without approved sleeping facilities
Not entering manual records when the driver card has data gaps

FAQs

Can I take my 45-minute break in two 22-minute halves?

No. Only 15 + 30 (in that order) is permitted. Anything else is a breach.

Does loading time count as working time?

Yes, under the RTD 2005. If you're physically loading, supervising loading, or unable to leave the vehicle, it's working time.

What's a "Period of Availability"?

Waiting time where the driver is free to dispose of their time but must be reachable to resume. Common at ferry queues, customs, scheduled depot waits. POA is not working time.

Do these rules apply to vans under 3.5t?

Drivers' Hours rules apply to vehicles over 3.5t. Vans under 3.5t are usually exempt from EU 561/2006 but may be subject to the GB Domestic rules (different limits) if used commercially.

Sources and further reading

gov.uk: Drivers' hours rules
Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005
Retained EU Regulation 561/2006
Retained EU Regulation 165/2014 (smart tachograph)

Last reviewed 2026-04-28 by Jamie Dawson, Editor. Corrections: corrections@logbook.co.uk