HGV Driving Hours in the UK: A Comprehensive Guide For Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers in the UK, adhering to driving hours regulations is paramount. Understanding the weekly and two-weekly limits is crucial not only for compliance but also for ensuring the safety of both drivers and others on the road.   Weekly Driving Hours: HGV drivers in the UK are subject to a maximum of 56 hours of driving per week. This weekly limit is in place to prevent driver fatigue and maintain road safety. It’s essential for drivers to track their hours diligently to avoid exceeding this threshold. Additio ..read more

Driving without a tachograph card: is strictly prohibited. When it comes to driving an HGV, it is one of the most basic ways to break the rules and get yourself into trouble. Drivers forgetting their tacho cards, on the other hand, happens far more frequently than it should. In fact, over £1.5 million in fines were issued to UK drivers between 2016 and 2017 for card offences while driving and exceeding driving hour times. Some drivers were even imprisoned. Any violation of a driving rule will be taken very seriously. However, because the rules governing driving without a tachograph card are am ..read more

Understanding Working Time Directive UK: The working time directive’s goal is to limit the number of hours a driver can work behind the wheel and in other work environments. This is to protect HGV and PCV drivers as well as other road users. The directive limits the number of hours a driver can work, but the rules themselves can be confusing, and many drivers are unsure of their rights when it comes to how many hours they can drive at once, as well as the rest periods required by law. A digital tachograph is extremely beneficial to both drivers and fleet managers. The SE5000 Digital Tachograph ..read more

How to start as an Owner Driver in The UK: The haulage industry in the UK has suffered over recent years due to drivers being overworked and underpaid. Quite often HGV drivers consider setting out on their own, by becoming owner drivers. UK Truckers have put together this article to look at some of the advantages and disadvantages. We also give some useful tips on how to start owning your own truck and becoming an owner driver. Do you have what it takes to start your own business? This is quite often a difficult call to make, there are several things you’ll need to think about before jumpin ..read more

HGV daily walk around checks: One of the most important duties of a professional driver is to perform daily walk-around checks. Each day you must ensure that the vehicle is safe to drive and take out onto public roads. You also need to make sure that your load is still secure and will not move during transit. Changes to how we now do daily walk around checks In the dark ages before technology, HGV drivers has to fill out a defect report booklet. Defect books are somewhat a thing of the past and most companies now use an app on their phone, pda or other in order to complete their checks. Vehic ..read more

The first thing you need to drive a HGV or large vehicle on the roads in the United Kingdom is the correct licence category. You need to ensure your licence has the correct entitlement to legally drive a particular type of vehicle. HGV licence categories explained HGV / LGV Category ‘C+E’ (Class 1) C+E covers any vehicle over 7.5 tonnes that has a detachable or separate trailer. Cat C+E licences can now be taken straight from having your car licence. You are no longer required to have passed your Cat C (Class 2) licence. The C+E category is for larger articulated vehicles mainly used for ..read more

How long do Tachograph Infringements last? Tachograph violations can result in a variety of penalties, including fines and even imprisonment. The severity of the violation determines the penalty, and VOSA can investigate up to 6 months of tachograph logs for driver hours violations, with no limit for investigations into tachograph falsification. According to road safety charity Brake, research has shown that fatigue is a major factor in many road traffic accidents. One in every six accidents is caused by fatigue, and approximately 40% of fatigue related accidents involve commercial drivers. T ..read more

 126 total views How do you know what weight is on the trailer #HGVWeight #truckdriver One important thing to know when driving a HGV is the weight of your load as well as the overall weight of your vehicle combined. Some trucks offer weight scales which can be viewed on your dashboard but there are many trucks that don’t have this feature. Make sure your never over-weight and comply with the law at all times. Being over your weight limit can find you in big trouble and you may end up with some hefty fines. Subscribe to our channel and hit the notification icon to stay up to date ..read more

HGV Tachograph Offences: Fatigue in drivers is a serious issue. A tired driver can kill, which is why there are both EC and domestic regulations governing driver’s hours. EC rules apply to drivers of most goods-carrying vehicles where the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle (including any trailer or semi-trailer) exceeds 3.5 tonnes. They apply to all journeys made entirely within the United Kingdom and the European Union. There are exemptions based on the type of vehicle or the type of work being performed. When operating in the UK, any vehicle exempt from EC regulations is subject to UK ..read more

5 Health & Wellness tips for HGV Drivers: HGV driver jobs are demanding, and their health and safety are also critical. This is why HGV drivers must take care of themselves by following these guidelines. HGV drivers typically work long hours on the road and may have to spend more due to current shortages of HGV drivers in the UK. Spending all day in a heavy vehicle can be taxing on the body and mind. This has made it critical for HGV drivers to maintain their health while on the job. HGV driver jobs are physically demanding, and drivers cannot take their health for granted. This is why the ..read more