HGV Working Time Directive Explained: Hours, Breaks and Compliance for UK Lorry Drivers
The HGV Working Time Directive (WTD) sets limits on how many hours professional lorry drivers can work each week, how long they can drive before taking a break, and the minimum rest periods they must take. It sits alongside — but is separate from — the EU Drivers' Hours rules and the tachograph regulations. Understanding both sets of rules is essential for every HGV driver in the UK.
This guide explains the WTD in plain English, covering weekly working time limits, night work restrictions, mandatory breaks, record-keeping requirements, and the penalties for non-compliance.
What Is the HGV Working Time Directive?
The Working Time Directive for mobile workers (also called the Road Transport Working Time Directive or RTWT) is a piece of legislation that applies specifically to drivers of vehicles requiring a tachograph — primarily HGV and PCV drivers. In the UK, it was implemented through the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 and remains in force post-Brexit under retained UK law.
The WTD is enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Employers are responsible for ensuring their drivers comply, but drivers can also be prosecuted individually for serious or repeated breaches.
Who Does the WTD Apply To?
The Road Transport Working Time Regulations apply to: employed HGV drivers operating vehicles requiring a tachograph; PCV (bus and coach) drivers; and agency drivers working for road transport operators. Self-employed drivers were exempt from the WTD until August 2012, when the exemption was removed. All self-employed drivers who drive tachograph vehicles are now covered by the same rules as employed drivers.
Key WTD Limits at a Glance
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Maximum average weekly working time | 48 hours (averaged over a 17-week reference period) |
| Maximum working time in any single week | 60 hours |
| Maximum night work | 10 hours in any 24-hour period (if night work is involved) |
| Break after 6 hours of work | At least 30 minutes |
| Break after more than 9 hours of work | At least 45 minutes total |
What Counts as Working Time Under the WTD?
Working time under the WTD includes more than just driving. The following activities all count towards your weekly working time total: driving; loading and unloading; assisting passengers on and off a vehicle; cleaning and technical maintenance; administrative work related to the vehicle or journey; and time spent waiting at a loading bay or border crossing where the driver cannot freely use the time.
The following do not count as working time: breaks and rest periods; time spent on call where the driver is free to rest (known as POA — Period of Availability); and travel to and from work for employed drivers.
The 48-Hour Average Weekly Working Time Limit
The WTD limits average weekly working time to 48 hours, calculated over a reference period of 17 weeks (which can be extended to 26 weeks by a collective or workforce agreement). This means you can work more than 48 hours in some weeks, provided your average over the reference period does not exceed 48 hours.
Unlike the EU Drivers' Hours rules, there is no opt-out from the 48-hour average limit for mobile workers. This is a hard legal maximum — not a guideline — and employers cannot ask drivers to sign an opt-out.
The 60-Hour Single-Week Maximum
Even within the 17-week averaging period, no single week can exceed 60 hours of working time. This is an absolute limit regardless of the averaging period. If you work 60 hours in one week, you must work fewer hours in subsequent weeks to bring your average back below 48 hours.
Night Work Restrictions
If your work involves night work (defined as work performed between midnight and 4 am for goods vehicles, or between 1 am and 5 am for passenger vehicles), your working time in any 24-hour period that includes night work is limited to 10 hours. This limit cannot be averaged — it applies to each individual 24-hour period.
Employers must assess the health and safety risks of night work and offer night workers health assessments. Drivers who regularly work nights should be aware that fatigue compounds over time, and the 10-hour limit exists specifically to protect against the elevated accident risk associated with night driving.
Mandatory Breaks Under the WTD
The WTD requires breaks from work (not just from driving). If you work for more than 6 hours, you must take a break of at least 30 minutes. If you work for more than 9 hours, the total break time must be at least 45 minutes. These breaks can be split into shorter periods of at least 15 minutes each.
Note that these WTD break requirements are separate from the EU Drivers' Hours break rules, which require a 45-minute break (or two breaks of 15 and 30 minutes) after 4.5 hours of driving. In practice, if you comply with the EU Drivers' Hours break rules, you will usually also satisfy the WTD break requirements — but not always. You must check both sets of rules independently.
WTD vs EU Drivers' Hours: Key Differences
| Aspect | EU Drivers' Hours | Working Time Directive |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Road safety — limits driving time | Worker health — limits total working time |
| What it limits | Driving time, breaks, rest periods | Total working time (driving + other work) |
| Enforced by | DVSA (via tachograph) | DVSA and HSE |
| Recorded by | Tachograph (mandatory) | Employer records (separate from tacho) |
| Opt-out available | No | No (for mobile workers) |
Record-Keeping Requirements
Employers must keep records of each driver's working time for at least two years. The tachograph records driving time, but it does not automatically record all working time — for example, time spent loading or doing paperwork may not appear on the tachograph. Employers must have separate systems to record this additional working time.
Penalties for WTD Non-Compliance
Breaches of the Road Transport Working Time Regulations can result in: improvement notices from the HSE or DVSA; prohibition notices preventing continued operation; prosecution of the employer and/or driver; unlimited fines for serious or repeated breaches; and impact on the operator's licence (O-licence) — serious WTD breaches can be cited in O-licence revocation proceedings.
Practical Tips for WTD Compliance
Keep a working time diary or use your employer's time-recording system to log all working activities, not just driving. Understand the difference between driving time (recorded by tacho) and total working time (which includes loading, admin, and waiting). If you work for multiple employers, each employer must be informed of your working time with other employers so they can calculate your weekly total correctly. Take your breaks — both the EU Drivers' Hours breaks and any additional WTD breaks required. If you are self-employed, you are still covered by the WTD and must keep your own records.
Summary
The HGV Working Time Directive limits professional lorry drivers to an average of 48 hours of working time per week (maximum 60 hours in any single week), restricts night work to 10 hours per 24-hour period, and requires mandatory breaks after 6 or 9 hours of work. It applies to all employed and self-employed drivers of tachograph vehicles and is enforced separately from — but alongside — the EU Drivers' Hours regulations.
For more information about HGV compliance, see our guides on HGV speed limits UK, HGV weight limits UK, what to do if you lose your tachograph card, and tachograph rules for HGV drivers.
