• KNOWLEDGE HUB
The Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005 sit alongside drivers' hours but measure something different - total working time, not just time at the wheel.
They cap the working week at an average of 48 hours over the reference period, limit any single week to 60 hours, require a qualifying break once six hours' work is reached, and restrict night work, with periods of availability (POA) treated separately.
These guides untangle WTR from drivers' hours, the distinction operators most often get wrong, and cover the averaging period, POA, breaks, night work limits, and the records you must keep.
• QUICK ANSWERS
No. A Period of Availability (POA) is not a break, it is waiting time of a known duration, such as at a ferry or a booked loading slot and it can't be used in place of the 45-minute break required under drivers' hours rules or any Working Time breaks requirements.
It also doesn't count as working time under the Working Time Directive, so it won't add to your 48-hour average or 60-hour weekly limit. It does, importantly, still count as part of your overall duty - it's time on shift rather than rest, so it affects when your daily rest must be taken.
No. You can't work more than 6 hours without taking a break, and if your total working time is between 6 and 9 hours you need at least 30 minutes of break in total (taken as two 15-minute breaks, or one longer one).
If you work more than 9 hours, that rises to at least 45 minutes. Each individual break must be at least 15 minutes.
No. Your records must be accurate at all times.
The tacho must be set to "Other Work" whenever you're carrying out any working duties, and only set to "Break" during a genuine break.
No. 60 hours is an absolute ceiling for any single week and can't be exceeded, regardless of your average.
Only if a collective or workforce agreement is in place.
Without one, your working time is capped at 10 hours in any 24-hour period once you do any work during the night period (00:00–04:00 for HGV, 01:00–05:00 for PSV).