HGV Drivers' Hours Explained: UK Rules & Regulations (2026 Guide)

Understanding HGV drivers' hours is essential for drivers, transport managers and operators. The rules govern how long a driver can drive, when breaks must be taken and the minimum daily and weekly rest required.

Getting drivers' hours wrong can lead to infringements, enforcement action and problems with Operator Licence compliance.

This guide explains the main UK HGV driving hours rules in practical terms, including daily and weekly driving limits, breaks, rest periods, Working Time rules and one of the most commonly misunderstood subjects in transport: the so-called 15-hour rule.

HGV Drivers' Hours: Quick Guide

For most HGV drivers operating under the assimilated drivers' hours rules, the main limits are:

Rule	Main limit
Daily driving	9 hours
Extended daily driving	10 hours, twice per fixed week
Driving before a qualifying break	4 hours 30 minutes
Driving break	45 minutes
Split driving break	15 minutes + 30 minutes
Weekly driving	56 hours
Two consecutive weeks	90 hours
Regular daily rest	11 hours
Reduced daily rest	Minimum 9 hours
Reduced daily rests	Maximum 3 between weekly rest periods
Regular weekly rest	45 hours
Reduced weekly rest	Minimum 24 hours

HGV Daily Driving Limits

Under the assimilated drivers' hours rules, the normal maximum daily driving time is 9 hours.

This can be extended to 10 hours on no more than two occasions during a fixed week. A fixed week runs from 00:00 Monday to 24:00 Sunday.

Importantly, this is driving time, not the total length of the driver's working day. A driver may have a considerably longer period between daily rest periods while still remaining within the daily driving limit.

What Is the HGV 15-Hour Rule?

The term “15-hour rule” is widely used in the transport industry, but it can be misleading. There isn't a rule allowing an HGV driver to drive for 15 hours.

The 15 hours comes from the daily rest requirements. A driver normally needs at least 11 consecutive hours of daily rest within each relevant 24-hour period. This effectively allows a maximum span of 13 hours between daily rest periods.

However, daily rest can be reduced to at least 9 consecutive hours on no more than three occasions between any two weekly rest periods.

With 9 hours of rest required within the 24-hour period:

24 hours − 9 hours' rest = 15 hours

This is where the commonly used expression “15-hour day” comes from. It does not mean that the driver can drive for 15 hours, or necessarily perform 15 hours of working time.

How many 15-hour days can an HGV driver do?

A reduced daily rest of at least 9 hours but less than 11 hours can normally be taken no more than three times between weekly rest periods.

This is why saying “three 15-hour days per week” isn't technically accurate. The restriction relates to three reduced daily rest periods between weekly rests, rather than simply three calendar days between Monday and Sunday.

The 4.5-Hour Driving Rule

An HGV driver must not accumulate more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving without taking a qualifying break, unless a qualifying rest period is taken instead.

The normal qualifying break is 45 minutes. During this break the driver must not carry out driving or other work and should be able to use the time exclusively for recuperation.

Can an HGV driving break be split?

Yes. The 45-minute driving break can be split into two periods:

At least 15 minutes, followed by at least 30 minutes.

The order matters. A 30-minute break followed later by a 15-minute break does not satisfy the split-break requirement.

Example of a split HGV driving break

A driver completes 2 hours of driving, takes a 15-minute break, then drives for another 2 hours 30 minutes before taking a 30-minute break.

The driver has accumulated 4 hours 30 minutes of driving and the 15 + 30 minute split satisfies the driving-break requirement. After completing the qualifying break, a new 4.5-hour driving period can begin.

Remember that driving breaks and Working Time breaks are separate requirements. A driver's day must be assessed against both sets of rules, and compliance with the 4.5-hour driving rule does not automatically mean that all Working Time requirements have been satisfied.

HGV Weekly Driving Limits

An HGV driver operating under the assimilated drivers' hours rules can drive for a maximum of 56 hours in a fixed week.

There is also a maximum of 90 hours' driving over any two consecutive fixed weeks. This means a driver who drives the full 56 hours in one week could drive no more than 34 hours in the following week.

For example:

Week 1: 56 hours

Week 2: 34 hours

Two-week total: 90 hours

Alternatively, a driver could drive 45 hours in each week and still reach the same 90-hour two-week total.

These are driving-time limits, not limits on total working time. Working Time rules apply separately.

We'll cover weekly working hours, the 48-hour average, 60-hour maximum and Working Time breaks in our separate guide to HGV Working Time rules.

HGV Daily and Weekly Rest Periods

HGV drivers must also meet minimum daily and weekly rest requirements. In general, regular daily rest is at least 11 hours, while regular weekly rest is at least 45 hours. Both can be reduced in certain circumstances, subject to specific conditions.

Reduced daily and weekly rest can become more complicated, particularly when calculating the number of reductions permitted and compensation for reduced weekly rest.

Read our full guide to HGV daily and weekly rest periods

HGV Working Time Rules

HGV drivers may also be subject to the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations, which are separate from the drivers' hours rules.

While drivers' hours rules control driving time, breaks and rest, Working Time rules consider the driver's wider working time, including activities such as loading, unloading and other work. The main limits include an average of 48 hours' working time per week, with up to 60 hours in an individual week, provided the required average is maintained.

Working Time also has its own break requirements, so complying with the 4.5-hour driving rule does not necessarily mean that a driver has complied with all Working Time requirements.

Read our full guide to HGV Working Time rules

HGV Drivers' Hours FAQs

• How many hours can an HGV driver drive in a day?

Normally 9 hours, which can be extended to 10 hours twice during a fixed week.

• How long can an HGV driver drive without a break?

  A driver can accumulate up to 4 hours 30 minutes of driving before taking a qualifying 45-minute break, unless a qualifying rest period is taken instead.

• How many 15-hour days can an HGV driver do?

  The underlying rule is that daily rest can be reduced to at least 9 hours no more than three times between weekly rest periods. This is why simply describing the rule as “three 15-hour days per week” can be misleading.

• How many hours can an HGV driver drive in a week?

  The maximum is 56 hours in a fixed week, subject to a maximum of 90 hours over any two consecutive fixed weeks.

Need Help With Drivers' Hours Compliance?

All Things Transport provides practical support to HGV operators with drivers' hours, tachograph compliance and wider Operator Licence requirements.

We also provide External Transport Manager services for operators requiring qualified, ongoing Transport Manager support.

Get in touch to discuss your transport compliance requirements.