The main drivers’ hours rules cover a normal day with one driver in the vehicle. Here is what changes when you involve a second driver, take a ferry or train, drive off the public highway or work nights.
*Break and Rest are NOT the same. Break is taken during the shift, whilst Rest is taken between shifts. This matters on every rule on this page.
How Does Double Manning Affect Matters?
When involving a second driver the period for calculating daily rest becomes a 30 hour period instead of a 24 hour period. Each driver must still take at least 9 hours of daily rest within that 30 hours, which means that the total duty time cannot exceed 21 hours.
In order to qualify for double manning, both drivers have to be present for the entire duty. The one exception to this is the first hour, for which the first driver has the opportunity to prepare the vehicle or collect the second driver.
It is possible for one driver to be on break while the other drives, unless the idle driver is doing any form of work such as navigation or paperwork. However, REST cannot be taken in a moving vehicle. Both drivers MUST stop and take rest at the same time.
| Driver 1 | Driver 2 |
| Other work 1 hour | Not yet on vehicle 1 hour |
| Driving 4.5 hours | Availability 4.5 hours |
| Break + availability 4.5 hours | Driving 4.5 hours |
| Driving 4.5 hours | Break + availability 4.5 hours |
| Break + availability 4.5 hours | Driving 4.5 hours |
| Driving 1 hour | Break + availability 1 hour |
| Break 1 hour | Driving 1 hour |
| Daily Rest (9 hours) | Daily Rest (9 hours) |
*All of the rules for breaks are the same as in a single man operation.
*A digital tachograph will not record break whilst the vehicle is in motion. It records the second driver as available instead. The first 45 minutes of this will be accepted as a break, as long as that driver is sat in the passenger seat and not carrying out any other work.
*A 9 hour rest taken in this way counts as a reduced daily rest, and you may only have 3 of those between weekly rests.
Many operators use double manning on long journeys to make sure the drivers return on the same day. Benefits include saving night expenses and having the vehicle available for the following day.
Do The Rules Change For Ferry And Train Journeys?
When taking part in a ferry crossing or a journey by train you may ignore interruptions to your daily rest as long as you do not interrupt it more than twice (once to get on and once to get off).
These interruptions may not exceed more than 1 hour in total. These interruptions do not count towards your rest period, as shown in the example below.
| Rest 2 Hours |
Driving / Other Work (embarkation) 30 Minutes |
Rest (on Ferry or Train) 7 Hours |
Driving / Other Work (disembarkation) 30 Minutes |
Rest 2 Hours |
If you have interrupted your rest in this way, then you must take a regular daily rest period of at least 11 hours. You may not have a reduced daily rest. You must also have access to a bunk or sleeper cabin during the crossing.
In a situation where your interruptions exceed 1 hour in total you will be required to take your full daily rest as normal and all events prior to the rest will be included in your previous duty.
Weekly rest – The same now applies to weekly rest. A reduced weekly rest may be interrupted in the same way (no more than twice and no more than 1 hour in total), and must still add up to at least 24 hours.
A standard 45 hour weekly rest may ONLY be interrupted where the crossing is scheduled for 8 hours or more and you have access to a sleeper cabin. No part of that rest may be taken in the vehicle.
Out Of Scope Driving
Out of scope driving is driving that takes place on roads which are not the public highway. Driving done out of scope does not count towards your driving time and instead counts as other work.
*However, if you drive for any amount of time on a public highway, then all driving done during that day will count as driving, even if most of it is off road.
Night Work Rules
Night work is defined as a duty that takes place entirely or partly between the hours of midnight and 4am for HGV drivers. For PSV drivers the hours differ slightly and are between 1am and 5am.
During a night work duty, you may not exceed 10 hours of total working time within a 24 hour period. This time does not include breaks and periods of availability.
I.e. If you started at midnight and worked exactly 10 hours, you would not be able to start work again until at least 14 hours later without accumulating more hours within the 24 hour period.
*You can opt out of the night working rules through a collective or workforce agreement.
Night work is part of the working time rules, which run alongside the drivers’ hours rules. See the working time rules for the weekly limits and the 6 hour rule.
More On The Drivers’ Hours Rules
- Drivers' Hours Rules – driving limits, breaks, daily rest and weekly rest.
- Which Rules Apply To You? – the 3.5 tonne and 2.5 tonne thresholds, who is exempt and the GB domestic rules.
- Tachographs & Records – the four types of tachograph, driver cards and how many days of records to carry.
- Working Time Rules – the 48 hour average, the 60 hour week and the 6 hour rule.
Download the full Drivers’ Hours Handbook for free here
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If at any point you have questions regarding the drivers’ hours rules, please feel free to contact the office by calling 0191 491 5032.