[progroup_dht_course]



PROGroup | Drivers’ Hours & Tachograph eLearning

PROGroup eLearning • Professional Driver Development

Drivers’ Hours & Tachograph

A practical refresher covering assimilated drivers’ hours, breaks and rest, tachograph operation, activity modes, manual records and driver responsibilities.

8Learning sections
30Assessment questions
90%Pass mark
PDFPass certificate emailed

Section 1 of 8

Scope & driver responsibilities

Drivers must know which rules apply to the vehicle, journey and activity being undertaken. For most HGV goods operations in Great Britain, assimilated drivers’ hours and tachograph rules apply.

Current 2026 change: from 1 July 2026, assimilated rules also apply to certain light goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes used for international transport operations within the UK/EU.

Core responsibilities

  • Use an approved tachograph when the journey is in scope.
  • Record driving, other work, availability, breaks and rest correctly.
  • Keep records complete, legible and attributable to the correct driver.
  • Use the driver card correctly and never use another driver’s card.
  • Make corrective records when an activity has not been recorded accurately.

Section 2 of 8

Driving limits

9 hrsNormal maximum daily driving.
10 hrsDaily driving may be extended to 10 hours twice in a week.
56 hrsMaximum driving in a fixed week.
90 hrsMaximum driving in any two consecutive weeks.
4½ hrsMaximum driving before the required driving break.
Mon–SunA fixed week runs from 00:00 Monday to 24:00 Sunday.

Example: 10 hours Monday + 10 hours Tuesday is permitted, but the remaining days of that fixed week cannot use another 10-hour extension.

Section 3 of 8

Breaks & daily rest

Driving break

After no more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving, a driver must take a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes. The 45 minutes may be split into 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes.

Daily rest

  • Regular daily rest: at least 11 hours.
  • Reduced daily rest: at least 9 hours, no more than 3 times between weekly rest periods.
  • Split regular daily rest: at least 3 hours followed by at least 9 hours.
  • Daily rest must normally be completed within each 24-hour period following the end of the previous daily or weekly rest.
Important: a driving break is not “other work”. Loading, paperwork, defect checks and other duties cannot be counted as the required driving break.

Section 4 of 8

Weekly rest

  • A regular weekly rest is at least 45 consecutive hours.
  • A reduced weekly rest is at least 24 consecutive hours, subject to the compensation rules.
  • Weekly rest must begin no later than the end of six consecutive 24-hour periods from the end of the previous weekly rest.
  • Where a weekly rest is reduced, the reduction must be compensated by an equivalent period of rest attached to another rest period of at least 9 hours, within the required compensation period.
Planning point: working-time rosters should be checked against both weekly and two-weekly driving totals, not just the current day’s remaining hours.

Section 5 of 8

Tachograph activity modes

Selecting the correct mode is fundamental. A digital or smart tachograph can only create an accurate record if the driver records each activity correctly.

DrivingNormally recorded automatically while the vehicle is moving.
Other workLoading, unloading, cleaning, maintenance, paperwork and other duties.
POAPeriod of availability where the driver is waiting and the duration is known in advance.
Break / restNo driving or other work; time is available for recuperation.

Annual leave and sick leave are also periods that must be appropriately recorded in accordance with the current tachograph recording rules.

Section 6 of 8

Manual entries & missing records

If the tachograph has not made an accurate record, the driver must correct the record using an accepted method.

  • Use the manual input facility when inserting the driver card, where appropriate.
  • Where an incorrect digital/smart tachograph record has been made, produce a printout, write the correction and reason, and sign it.
  • For analogue equipment, corrections and additional records can be made on the reverse of the chart where required.
  • Never falsify, overwrite or deliberately omit an activity to create apparent compliance.
Good practice: complete manual entries before starting the next driving period and check the timeline displayed by the unit before confirming.

Section 7 of 8

Defects, misuse & enforcement

  • Report tachograph faults promptly and follow the legal procedure for keeping records while the unit or card is defective.
  • Do not drive using another person’s driver card.
  • Do not interfere with the tachograph, motion sensor or record.
  • Ensure printouts and written corrections are clear, dated and signed where required.
  • Remember that operators also have duties to organise work so drivers can comply.
Compliance principle: enforcement decisions are based on the factual record. A complete record with a clear contemporaneous explanation is materially better than an unexplained gap.

Section 8 of 8

Practical scenarios

Scenario A — driving break

You drive for 2 hours, take 15 minutes break, drive for another 2 hours 30 minutes. You must now take at least 30 minutes before further in-scope driving.

Scenario B — two-weekly driving

If you drive 56 hours in week one, the maximum available in week two is 34 hours because the combined total cannot exceed 90 hours.

Scenario C — forgotten manual entry

If the tachograph has missed an activity, do not ignore the gap. Correct the record using an accepted manual record method and provide the required explanation/signature.

Assessment unlock: completing this section unlocks the 30-question final assessment. You need 27 correct answers (90%) to pass.
Training content should be reviewed periodically against current DVSA/GOV.UK guidance and your approved internal training materials.

Final assessment

Drivers’ Hours & Tachograph Assessment

30 questions • one answer per question • 90% pass mark. Questions are shuffled on each new attempt.