UK HGV Compliance 2025: Driver Hours, Tachographs and What's Changed

If you're running HGVs in the UK right now, 2025 is not the year to take your eye off compliance. A raft of regulatory changes came into force in April, tachograph upgrade deadlines are looming, and the DVSA is tightening its enforcement approach ahead of new sanctions due in 2026. Whether you're a transport manager juggling a fleet, an owner-operator doing it all yourself, or a driver trying to stay on the right side of the law, here's what you need to know — in plain English.

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What Changed in April 2025 (And Why It Matters)

The biggest headline from April 21, 2025 is the change to record-keeping requirements for international journeys. Previously, drivers crossing into Europe needed to be able to produce 28 days' worth of tachograph records at the roadside. That requirement has now doubled to 56 days.

That's a significant shift. If your drivers are stopped at the border or during a roadside check and can't produce records going back nearly two months, you're looking at potential penalties — for the driver and possibly the operator. Make sure your systems are set up to store and retrieve that data quickly.

The other change that's worth flagging is more about language than law, but it has practical implications. The DVSA has replaced all references to "EU Law" in its guidance with the term "Assimilated drivers' hours rules". This reflects the UK's post-Brexit legal framework, and while it doesn't change the underlying rules in most cases, it does mean any documentation, training materials, or internal policies that reference "EU hours rules" are now technically out of date. Worth an audit if you haven't done one recently.

For journeys between the UK and non-EU countries, the rules have also been clarified — these must now strictly follow AETR rules, removing any ambiguity that existed in the post-Brexit transition period.

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The Core Driving Limits — What's Still the Same

While plenty has changed administratively, the fundamental driving limits under the assimilated rules remain unchanged. These are worth revisiting, because they're the bread and butter of day-to-day compliance:

• Daily driving limit: 9 hours, which can be extended to 10 hours twice a week
• Weekly driving limit: No more than 56 hours in any single week
• Fortnightly limit: No more than 90 hours across any two consecutive weeks

Break requirements and rest rules also remain in line with what most experienced drivers will know — 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving (which can be split into a 15-minute break followed by a 30-minute break), and a minimum daily rest of 11 hours (with reduced rest of 9 hours permitted three times between weekly rests).

These aren't new, but they're consistently where infringements happen, particularly the fortnightly 90-hour limit which can sneak up on drivers during busy periods. Tools like Fleet77 can flag when drivers are approaching their limits — useful for transport managers who are keeping tabs on multiple vehicles at once.

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Smart Tachograph 2: Deadlines You Can't Afford to Miss

This is arguably the most time-sensitive compliance issue on the horizon. The rollout of Smart Tachograph version 2 (Gen 2) has firm deadlines, and retrofitting takes time to book in — so if you haven't started planning, now is the time.

The Key Dates

• 18 August 2025: Vehicles already fitted with a Smart Tachograph version 1 must be retrofitted to version 2 by this date
• 1 July 2026: Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes must be fitted with Smart Tachograph 2

Smart Tachograph 2 (including the updated version 2.2) brings several improvements that the DVSA is particularly keen on for enforcement purposes:

• Automated border crossing recording — the unit logs when a vehicle crosses an international border without the driver needing to do anything manually
• Improved location tracking — more accurate position data at key moments (start/end of daily work, every three hours of driving)
• Stronger anti-tampering protections — making it harder to manipulate records

If you're operating vehicles that already have a Gen 1 smart tachograph, the August deadline is close. Get in touch with your tachograph calibration centre now to book your retrofits — many are already reporting backlogs.

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Enforcement, Sanctions and What's Coming in 2026

The DVSA is not standing still on enforcement. A new DVSA enforcement sanctions policy is due to come into effect on 1 May 2026, which is expected to introduce tighter penalties for breaches of the updated hours and tachograph rules.

That gives operators roughly a year to get their houses in order — but a year goes quickly when you're running a busy fleet.

It's also worth noting that the DVSA's Earned Recognition scheme sets out clear audit standards for HGV operators (you can find the full standards here). Operators on the scheme are expected to demonstrate robust systems for monitoring driver hours, managing tachograph data, and addressing infringements promptly. Even if you're not currently on Earned Recognition, those standards are a useful benchmark for where compliance expectations are heading.

The DVSA has also indicated it will be releasing further guidance during 2025, including clearer definitions around what counts as "goods" for the purposes of working time rules, and updated lists of applicable regulations. Keep an eye on GOV.UK and sign up for DVSA email alerts to stay ahead of it.

CPC Training Is Changing Too

One more thing worth flagging: Driver CPC training is being modernised, with more flexible and partially online modules now becoming available. If your drivers are due for their periodic training, it's worth checking whether online delivery works for your team — the flexibility can make scheduling a lot easier.

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Staying on Top of It All

2025 is a year of genuine change for UK haulage compliance. The April rule updates, the August tachograph deadline, and the enforcement changes coming in 2026 all demand attention — and the consequences of getting it wrong range from roadside penalties to operator licence risk.

Whether you're managing a handful of vehicles or a large mixed fleet, keeping your records clean, your tachograph data up to date, and your drivers informed is non-negotiable. Fleet77 is built to help transport managers and operators do exactly that — without the paperwork headache.

Try Fleet77 free or get in touch to see how it works.