Van Drivers’ Hours & Tachographs Training
From 1 July 2026, vans over 2.5 tonnes on international journeys for hire and reward fall under EU drivers’ hours rules and need a Smart Tachograph 2. This online course gets your drivers ready — the rules, the tachograph, the exemptions, and what enforcement looks for at the roadside.
About this course
The rules that applied to trucks now apply to vans crossing borders
The EU Mobility Package extends drivers’ hours, rest period and tachograph requirements to goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes used for international transport for hire and reward. That brings thousands of UK vans — Sprinters, Crafters, Transits, Boxers, and anything towing a trailer that tips the combination over the threshold — into a regime their drivers have never worked under.
This course covers exactly what a van driver and their manager need to know: the driving limits and rest requirements under Regulation (EC) 561/2006, how to operate a Smart Tachograph 2 correctly, which journeys are exempt (including own account transport), and how DVSA and EU enforcement will detect infringements — increasingly remotely, before the vehicle is even stopped.
Course content
What the course covers
Who is in scope
The 2.5–3.5 tonne band, Maximum Authorised Mass including trailers, hire and reward versus own account, and the UK domestic position for vans staying within Great Britain.
Drivers’ hours rules
Daily and weekly driving limits, the 45-minute break, daily and weekly rest periods, and how the rules differ from the GB domestic regime van drivers may already know.
Smart Tachograph 2
Driver cards, mode switching, manual entries, automatic border crossing records, and the common card and record-keeping mistakes that generate infringements.
Exemptions
Own account transport, when driving is not the driver’s main activity, zero-emission vehicle derogations, and how to evidence an exemption at the roadside.
Operator licensing
Where the international operator’s licence requirement for 2.5–3.5 tonne vehicles fits alongside the tachograph rules.
Enforcement & penalties
DVSA and EU roadside checks, remote detection of infringements via the Smart Tachograph 2, prohibitions, fines and operator liability for driver infringements abroad.
Who it’s for
Drivers, transport managers and fleet operators
The course is written for van drivers who cross into the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland — whether regularly or occasionally — and for the transport managers and business owners responsible for keeping them compliant. No prior tachograph experience is assumed. Most vans in this band are driven on a standard Category B licence, and this course fills the gap that Driver CPC would normally cover for HGV drivers.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does my van need a tachograph if it only operates in the UK?
No. Vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes operating only within the UK remain under GB domestic drivers’ hours rules and do not need a tachograph fitted.
We move our own goods in our own van — are we exempt?
Own account international journeys in the 2.5–3.5 tonne band, where driving is not the driver’s main activity, are exempt from the tachograph requirement. The course covers how to evidence this at the roadside.
Does the trailer count towards the weight?
Yes. The threshold is Maximum Authorised Mass of the combination. A van under 2.5 tonnes towing a trailer can be brought into scope, and a 3.5 tonne van with a trailer moves into the full HGV regime.
Do my drivers need Driver CPC?
Not for vans at or below 3.5 tonnes driven on a Category B licence. The new tachograph rules do not change licence or Driver CPC requirements.
How long does the course take and what do I get?
Around 2 hours, fully online and self-paced, with an end-of-course assessment and an instant downloadable certificate. Access lasts 12 months.
Get your drivers ready for the new rules
£25 per learner, fully online with an instant certificate. Training a whole fleet? Volume pricing is available — call us and we’ll set your team up with completion tracking.