Today the rules change. From 1 July 2026, vans and van-and-trailer combinations with a maximum permissible mass between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes, used for the international carriage of goods for hire or reward, must be fitted with a smart tachograph, and their drivers must record driving time, breaks and rest under the assimilated drivers’ hours rules, just as HGV drivers do.
We covered the background when the change was announced in our earlier guide to the new tachograph requirements for vans. Now that the deadline has arrived, this is a practical checklist for operators who need to be compliant today, not eventually.
Who is caught by the rules
The requirement applies where all three of the following are true: the vehicle (including any trailer) has a maximum permissible mass over 2.5 tonnes and not more than 3.5 tonnes; the journey is international (or cabotage within the EU); and the carriage is for hire or reward, you’re moving someone else’s goods commercially. Since 2022, these operations have already required a Standard International Operator Licence; the tachograph obligation is the final piece of that framework taking effect.
Purely domestic van work remains outside scope, as does own-account carriage in most cases and vans used for tools of the trade within limits. But the boundaries are precise, and “we didn’t think it applied to us” is not a defence the DVSA or foreign enforcement bodies will accept at the roadside.
Your compliance checklist
- Vehicles, affected vans must be fitted with a smart tachograph 2. Check installation and calibration records now.
- Driver cards, every affected driver needs a driver card and must use it correctly, including manual entries for other work.
- Drivers’ hours, the assimilated rules apply in full: 4.5 hours maximum driving before a 45-minute break, daily and weekly driving limits, and daily and weekly rest requirements. See our explainer on the assimilated drivers’ hours rules.
- Downloading and analysis, operators must download vehicle unit and driver card data on schedule, analyse it, and act on infringements.
- Training, drivers who have never worked under tachograph rules need to be taught them before their first international job, and transport managers need records proving it.
The training gap
The biggest risk in this transition isn’t equipment, it’s knowledge. Most van drivers have never operated under drivers’ hours rules. They don’t know what counts as “other work”, when a break stops the clock, or what happens at a roadside check in France when the card shows a missing manual entry. Infringements follow the operator licence, and repeated infringements put your repute as an operator at risk with the Traffic Commissioner.
Our online Van Drivers’ Hours & Tachographs (2.5–3.5t) course was built specifically for this change. It covers who’s in scope, the drivers’ hours rules in plain English, how to use a smart tachograph and driver card correctly, manual entries, and what to expect at enforcement checks. Drivers complete it online in a couple of hours and receive a certificate for your operator compliance file.
If you’re new to operator licensing generally, our complete guide to UK operator licence requirements is the place to start.
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