Under EU Regulation 561/2006 (retained in UK law post-Brexit), HGV drivers can drive a maximum of 9 hours per day, extendable to 10 hours twice per fixed week. The weekly driving limit is 56 hours, and across any two consecutive fixed weeks, you can't exceed 90 hours total. A fixed week runs from Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00. These are driving limits only — working time rules under the Working Time Directive (2002/15/EC) are separate. For the full picture, see our complete EU driving hours guide.
Getting your head around these limits isn't optional. DVSA enforcement officers check tachograph data regularly, and the fines for exceeding them are steep. So let's break it all down.
What Are the Daily Driving Limits for HGV Drivers?
The standard daily driving limit is 9 hours. That's 9 hours of actual driving time in a single day — not your total shift length, not time spent loading or doing vehicle checks. Just time with the wheels turning.
Here's the thing: you can extend that to 10 hours, but only twice per fixed week. A fixed week always runs Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00, no exceptions. So if you drive 10 hours on Monday and 10 hours on Wednesday, that's your two extensions used up. Every other day that week, you're capped at 9.
This catches people out more often than you'd think. A driver might use both extensions early in the week, then get stuck on Thursday when a delivery overruns. Plan ahead.
What counts as "driving" time?
Only time recorded as driving on your tachograph. Waiting at a depot, loading, unloading, fuelling up — none of that counts towards your driving limit (though it does count towards working time under the WTD). The tachograph doesn't lie, and DVSA knows how to read one.
What Are the Weekly and Fortnightly Driving Limits?
Two limits apply here, and you need to stay within both:
- Weekly limit: 56 hours of driving in any single fixed week (Monday to Sunday)
- Fortnightly limit: 90 hours of driving across any two consecutive fixed weeks
That second rule is the one that trips drivers up. You might drive 56 hours in week one — perfectly legal. But that means in week two, you can only drive 34 hours (90 minus 56). Miss this, and you're looking at a serious infringement.
| Limit Type | Maximum | Period | Can It Be Extended? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily driving | 9 hours | Per day | Yes — to 10 hours, twice per fixed week |
| Weekly driving | 56 hours | Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00 | No |
| Fortnightly driving | 90 hours | Any 2 consecutive fixed weeks | No |
Now, a common question: "If I only drove 30 hours last week, can I do 60 this week?" No. The weekly cap is always 56, regardless of the previous week. The fortnightly limit sits on top of the weekly limit — you need to satisfy both.
How Do Breaks Work Under EU 561?
After 4.5 hours of accumulated driving, you must take a break of at least 45 minutes. You can't drive a single minute more without it.
But you don't have to take the full 45 minutes in one go. You can split it:
- First break: at least 15 minutes
- Second break: at least 30 minutes
The order matters. It must be 15 then 30, not the other way round. And the first break can be taken at any point within your 4.5-hour driving window — after 1 hour, after 2 hours, whenever suits. Just make sure the 30-minute portion comes before you hit 4.5 hours total driving since the first break.
After your 45-minute break (or the completed split), the 4.5-hour driving clock resets and you start fresh.
Quick break example
You start driving at 06:00. At 08:00 (2 hours of driving), you stop for 15 minutes. You then drive until 10:30 (another 2.5 hours, totalling 4.5). Now you must take at least 30 minutes. After that break, your driving clock resets to zero.
Daily Rest Period Requirements
Driving limits and rest periods go hand in hand. Within each 24-hour period (starting from the end of your last daily or weekly rest), you must take a daily rest.
| Rest Type | Minimum Duration | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Regular daily rest | 11 hours continuous | No limit on frequency |
| Reduced daily rest | 9 hours continuous | Maximum 3 times between any two weekly rests |
| Split daily rest | 3 hours + 9 hours (12 total) | Must be in this order; counts as one regular rest |
The split rest option is useful when you've got a long gap mid-shift — say, waiting for a ferry. Take your 3-hour portion first, then complete the 9-hour block later. Just remember: 3 then 9, always in that order, totalling 12 hours for the day.
Reduced daily rests don't need compensation (unlike reduced weekly rests), but you can only use them 3 times between weekly rest periods. Go over that, and you're in infringement territory.
What Happens If You Exceed Your Driving Limits?
DVSA doesn't mess about. Infringements are graded by severity:
- Minor: Small overruns, first offences — written warning or small fixed penalty
- Serious: Exceeding daily limit by more than 1 hour, missing breaks — fixed penalties up to £300 per offence
- Most serious: Exceeding daily limit by 2+ hours, no weekly rest — court prosecution, unlimited fines, O-licence implications
And it's not just the driver who's at risk. Transport managers and operators can be prosecuted too if they're found to have caused or permitted the infringement. We cover this in detail in our guide to driving hours penalties.
How ShiftOwt Helps You Stay Within Limits
Keeping track of daily, weekly, and fortnightly driving limits across multiple shifts and agencies is a headache — especially if you're a temp driver moving between different operators.
ShiftOwt gives HGV drivers a single calendar to manage availability and track compliance with EU 561/2006 rules. When you log your shifts, ShiftOwt monitors your driving hours against the daily, weekly, and fortnightly limits and flags when you're approaching a threshold. For drivers working through staffing agencies, it means you've always got a clear picture of where you stand — no more mental maths at 5am.
Agencies use ShiftOwt to see which drivers are available and compliant before booking them for shifts. It's a simple way to avoid putting a driver on the road who's already close to their limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drive more than 9 hours in a day as an HGV driver?
Yes, but only under specific conditions. You can extend your daily driving to 10 hours, and you're allowed to do this a maximum of twice per fixed week (Monday to Sunday). Every other day, the 9-hour limit applies. There's no way to extend beyond 10 hours — full stop.
What's the difference between driving limits and working time limits?
Driving limits under EU 561/2006 cover only time spent actually driving the vehicle. Working time limits under the Working Time Directive (2002/15/EC) cover your entire shift — driving, loading, paperwork, vehicle checks, everything except breaks and rest. You need to comply with both sets of rules. Our complete EU driving hours guide explains how they interact.
Does the 56-hour weekly limit reset every Monday?
Yes. The fixed week under EU 561/2006 always runs from Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00. Your weekly driving total resets at the start of each new fixed week. But don't forget the 90-hour fortnightly rule — even if each individual week is under 56 hours, the combined total of any two consecutive weeks can't exceed 90.
Related Guides
This article is part of our complete guide to EU driving hours regulations. For more on specific topics: