Significant changes made in the last 10 years...

Logistics UK members have agreed that the Association should press for a period of stability in these policy areas and resist any major alterations. However, as part of the Government's recent Red Tape Challenge Logistics UK appealed for the Road Transport Directive to be disapplied because members questioned whether there was any road safety benefit, given that EU drivers' hours rules already apply. Logistics UK will take advantage of future opportunities to make this case.

Working time legislation in road transport originates from the following EU directives.

Main Directive

This was introduced in the UK in 1998 and gave new rights to employees and placed additional burdens on employers. However, the transport sector was temporarily excluded from its provisions.

Horizontal Directive

This was introduced in 2004 and amended the Main Directive by including the transport sector.

It applied the Main Directive rules to non-mobile workers, and some of the rules to mobile workers. How far the Main Directive rules apply to mobile workers depends on whether the vehicle operation is covered by tachograph or domestic drivers' hours rules.

Road Transport Directive

This was introduced in 2005. It added specific rules to mobile workers of operations subject to EU drivers' hours (tachograph) regulations.