HGV drivers' hours rules: a plain-English guide for new drivers
The driving, break and rest limits for lorry drivers, the separate working time limits, and the mistakes that catch new drivers out at roadside checks: second jobs, travelling to the truck, and "breaks" that don't count.
Short answer
You can drive for up to 9 hours a day (10 hours twice a week), 56 hours a week and 90 hours in any two weeks. After 4.5 hours' driving you must take a 45-minute break, which can be split into 15 then 30 minutes. You need 11 hours' rest a day (9 hours up to 3 times between weekly rests) and a 45-hour weekly rest.
Separately, your total working time, including loading and paperwork, must average no more than 48 hours a week, with 60 hours at most in any one week. Lorry drivers can't opt out of this.
Driving and rest limits
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Daily driving | 9 hours, or 10 hours twice in a fixed week |
| Weekly driving | 56 hours in a fixed week (00:00 Monday to 24:00 Sunday) |
| Two-week driving | 90 hours in any two consecutive fixed weeks |
| Breaks | 45 minutes after no more than 4.5 hours' driving. Can be split into at least 15 minutes, then at least 30 minutes. |
| Daily rest | 11 hours in a row, or 9 hours up to 3 times between weekly rests. Can be split 3 hours plus 9 hours (12 in total). |
| Weekly rest | 45 hours in a row, or a reduced rest of at least 24 hours, which you must make up later. In any two weeks, at least one weekly rest must be the full 45 hours. |
| Weekly rest deadline | Must start within six 24-hour periods of the end of your last weekly rest |
Working time limits
These cover all your work, not just driving.
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Average working week | 48 hours, averaged over 17 or 26 weeks. No individual opt-out. |
| Maximum in one week | 60 hours, as long as the average stays within 48 |
| Night work | No more than 10 hours' work in any 24 hours if you work at night |
| Breaks from work | No more than 6 hours' work without a break: 30 minutes if you work 6 to 9 hours, 45 minutes if more than 9 |
Mistakes that catch new drivers out
- A break means no work at all. GOV.UK defines a break as time when you can't drive "or any other work", used "exclusively for recuperation". Waiting to be loaded while you're expected to move the truck, or doing paperwork, isn't a break.
- Travelling to the truck isn't rest. Time spent getting to a vehicle you're taking charge of somewhere else, however you travel, can't count as rest or a break.
- Your other job counts. Time spent working in other employment, or volunteering, can't count as rest. A shift in a warehouse or pub between driving shifts eats into your rest, and has to be recorded as other work.
- The week is fixed. The 56-hour limit runs Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00, not any seven days.
- Practising at work. Lorries used for lessons or tests are only exempt while they aren't carrying goods commercially. If you practise on a real delivery, the normal rules apply.
- Vans are different. Most goods vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes come under the GB domestic rules instead: 10 hours' driving and 11 hours' duty a day, and there you can opt out of the 48-hour week. From 1 July 2026, vans over 2.5 tonnes on international journeys also come under the lorry rules.
What happens if you break the rules
DVSA examiners and the police can stop you and check your tachograph for offences being committed now or in the last 28 days. Fixed penalties are £50, £100, £200 or £300, and some £100 and £200 penalties also carry 3 points. For example, driving more than 4.5 hours without a break costs £100 if you're up to an hour over, £200 for one to two hours, and £300 for two hours or more. One examiner can issue up to 5 fixed penalties at a single check. GOV.UK, roadside fines.
Points on your licence matter more for lorry drivers than car drivers: they can lead to a Traffic Commissioner review of your lorry licence, and under 21 you lose it at 4 points. Points and your HGV licence · Rules for drivers under 21.
Common questions
How many hours can an HGV driver drive in a day?
9 hours, or 10 hours up to twice in a fixed week (Monday to Sunday). After 4.5 hours' driving you must take a 45-minute break.
How many hours can a lorry driver work in a week?
Driving is limited to 56 hours a week and 90 in two weeks. Total working time must average no more than 48 hours a week over 17 or 26 weeks, with 60 hours at most in a single week. Lorry drivers can't opt out.
Can I split my 45-minute break?
Yes, into at least 15 minutes followed by at least 30 minutes, taken within the 4.5 hours of driving.
How much rest does an HGV driver need?
11 hours in a row each day, which can be reduced to 9 hours up to 3 times between weekly rests, and a weekly rest of 45 hours, which can be reduced to 24 hours if you make it up.
What is the fine for breaking drivers' hours rules?
Fixed penalties are £50 to £300, and some carry 3 points. Driving 2 hours or more over the 4.5-hour limit without a break is £300. Examiners can fine you for offences in the last 28 days.