UK Driver Hours Rules 2025: What Hauliers Must Know Now

If you run HGVs in the UK, 2025 has brought some of the most significant changes to driver hours rules in years. The Drivers' Hours and Tachographs (Amendment and Modification) Regulations 2025, which came into force on 21 April 2025, have shifted the compliance landscape — particularly for operators running international routes. Whether you're a transport manager keeping the wheels turning, a haulage owner watching your operator licence, or a driver sitting behind the wheel, here's what you genuinely need to know right now.

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The 56-Day Record Rule: The Biggest Practical Change

This is the one that's catching people out. Previously, drivers needed to carry tachograph records for the current day plus the previous 28 days. That's now doubled.

From April 2025, drivers must be able to produce records for the current day plus the previous 56 days — that's eight full weeks of data. This applies to all international journeys involving the UK, including the domestic legs of those trips. So even if a driver is doing a short UK run before heading to Europe, those UK records need to be there.

At a roadside check, DVSA officers can and will ask for those records. If they're not available — whether that's missing digital data or incomplete manual entries — that's a potential infringement, and it reflects directly on your operator licence.

What This Means in Practice

• Drivers need to be carrying or able to access a full 56-day download, not just a month's worth
• Fleet managers need systems in place to ensure tachograph data is downloaded, stored, and retrievable well beyond the old 28-day window
• This is particularly relevant if you're using manual downloads and filing them in a folder — the window for gaps to appear has just doubled

Tools like TruckCheck help automate this process, flagging missed downloads before they become compliance issues. But whatever system you use, the key point is that 56 days is now the minimum, not an optional extra.

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AETR Rules: What's Changed for International Routes

For operators running routes between the UK and non-EU countries — or transiting through the EU to reach them — the UK has now formally adopted AETR rules (the European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport).

The core driving limits under AETR are broadly similar to what most operators already know: 9 hours daily driving (extendable to 10 twice a week), 56 hours weekly, and 90 hours fortnightly. But there are some important differences worth understanding:

• Rest period interruptions are treated more strictly under AETR. The flexibility some operators relied on for split rest arrangements is more limited
• "Return to home" exemptions that existed under retained EU law have been removed for AETR-covered journeys
• If your drivers are crossing into non-EU countries like Turkey, Azerbaijan, or going via certain transit routes, AETR is now your governing rulebook — not the old retained EU regulations

If you're unsure which rules apply to a specific route, the safest approach is to check with your transport solicitor or refer to DVSA guidance directly. Getting this wrong isn't just a driver issue — it's an operator compliance issue.

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Smart Tachograph Version 2: Don't Miss the August Deadline

The DVSA's push toward digital enforcement is very real, and there are two hard deadlines operators need to have in the diary.

August 18, 2025

Any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes operating internationally that is currently fitted with a Smart Tachograph Version 1 (SMT1) must be retrofitted to SMT2 by this date. This isn't guidance — it's a legal requirement.

July 1, 2026

Vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes used for international hire and reward operations must also be fitted with SMT2 by this point. This catches a lot of operators who may not have considered that their lighter commercials need to be in scope.

SMT2 units communicate remotely, meaning DVSA officers can now monitor tachograph data — and detect rest breaches or tampering — while a vehicle is still moving. Remote tachograph monitoring at the roadside is already being used, and it's only going to become more common. If your unit is out of date, it's not just an equipment issue — it's a signal to enforcement that compliance may be lacking elsewhere too.

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Domestic Rules and the "Assimilated" Terminology Shift

For operators running purely domestic work, the core hours rules haven't changed. You still have:

• 9 hours daily driving (extendable to 10 hours, twice a week)
• 56 hours weekly maximum
• 90 hours fortnightly maximum

What has changed is the language. The DVSA has replaced references to "EU law" with "assimilated drivers' hours rules" when describing domestic operations. In practice, this is largely administrative — the limits are the same — but it's worth knowing in case you see the new terminology in enforcement notices, audit documentation, or DVSA correspondence.

Operators working toward or maintaining DVSA Earned Recognition status should ensure their internal documentation and audit trails reflect the updated terminology. The DVSA Earned Recognition audit standards for HGV operators remain a useful benchmark for what good compliance looks like — and keeping your records consistent with that framework is always good practice.

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The Driver Shortage Hasn't Gone Away

It's worth putting all of this in context. The UK HGV workforce grew by roughly 13% in the past year, bringing total driver numbers to around 300,000. That sounds positive, but vacancies actually rose by nearly 34% in Q4 2024 alone — demand is still outrunning supply.

Nearly half the current workforce is over 50, which is why the DVSA has introduced measures like digital-first medical renewals and more flexible CPC training options aimed at retaining experienced drivers. If you're managing a team with older drivers, it's worth making them aware of these options — keeping experienced people in the cab is far easier than training new ones from scratch.

From a compliance angle, a stretched workforce means drivers under pressure, which means the temptation to push hours. That's exactly when infringements happen. Keeping your monitoring tight and your drivers informed isn't just good practice — it's how you protect your licence.

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With so much changing at once, staying on top of driver hours compliance manually is becoming increasingly difficult. TruckCheck is built specifically for UK fleet operators who need to stay compliant without drowning in paperwork.

Try TruckCheck free or get in touch to see how it works.