• SECTOR GUIDE

Tachograph compliance for concrete and ready-mix operators

Volumetric and ready-mix concrete deliveries run to the clock. Continuous delivery cycles, tight pour windows and short, repetitive journeys make drivers' hours and Working Time management harder than it looks - and the rules in this sector are changing, so what was compliant last year may not be today.

Tacho Agent keeps concrete operators ahead of those changes: we analyse your tachograph data, flag infringements and rest-period risks, and translate regulation updates into plain operational guidance. Request a free compliance report to check your current position.

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• THE RISKS

Common compliance risks

The issues that most often catch operators out.

Back-to-back delivery cycles

Tight, repeated pours make it easy to miss the 45-minute break due before 4.5 hours' driving.

Pour windows vs driving limits

Pressure to hit time-critical pours tempts drivers past their daily driving limit.

On-site running time

Time with the drum turning on site is duty time, not rest, and often goes unrecorded.

Changing sector rules

Guidance affecting concrete haulage evolves; last year's compliant practice may not be now.

• TAILORED GUIDANCE

Sector guides

In-depth guidance written for concrete & bulk haulage operators.

• REFERENCE GUIDES

General reference guides

Full regulation references that apply across every sector.

See all guides →

• COMMON QUESTIONS

Compliance FAQs

Quick answers to what operators ask us most.

Is time spent driving off-road on a building site counted within the daily driving limit?

It  isn’t.

Under GB domestic rules, time spent driving off the public road for  building work, civil engineering, quarrying, forestry or agriculture is left  out of the driving-time tally, though it’s still recorded as duty.

The  carve-out comes from Part VI of the Transport Act 1968, which underpins the  GB domestic drivers’ hours regime.

If a driver waits at the pour before discharging, does that time count as a break?

Only when the driver is entirely free of duties while waiting.

If they’re still  expected to monitor the load, stay with the vehicle or remain on call, that time falls under “other work” or a period of availability (if the waiting time is known in advance) rather than a genuine break.

Do the frequent stops on a multi-drop round count towards the statutory break?

Not automatically.

The standard 45-minute break after four-and-a-half hours’ driving (or the 15+30 split) applies regardless of how the route is broken up, and a stop only counts towards it if the driver is genuinely free of all duties at the time.

At what point does moving plant or materials between sites bring Operator Licensing into play?

Once a vehicle carrying your own goods passes 3.5 tonnes, a restricted O-licence is needed.

Section 2(1) of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995 makes it an offence to use a goods vehicle on the road for hire or reward, or for a trade or business, without a licence, and section 3(3) sets out when that licence has to be the restricted type.

How do you work out which of the three rulebooks governs a particular job?

It's determined by where the vehicle goes.

Assimilated (EU) rules cover goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes operating within the UK and vehicles over 2.5 tonnes used for hire or reward travelling between the UK and EU (bar specific exemptions); AETR rules take over for international journeys that start, end or transit through no EU member states.

GB domestic rules fill the gap wherever neither of the other two applies.

What’s the weight trigger for needing an Operator’s Licence?

For domestic hire-or-reward work, the threshold sits at 3.5 tonnes. Since 21 May 2022, that scope has widened to also catch light goods vehicles of 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes maximum laden weight when used internationally for hire or reward, reflecting commitments under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

• WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Trusted by operators like you

Highly recommend - analysis is 10/10

Worked with Andy for a few years now and I recommend him highly. Very attentive and personable and is always available for any issues. His analysis is 10/10 and will contact me if there’s any issues that could be an issue going forward.

- MT, Transport Manager, concrete and screed operator

• FIRST REPORT FREE

See where your fleet stands

A free, no-obligation compliance report based on your own tachograph
data — with the issues found and plain-English actions to fix them.

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