Blog
Drivers' hours, in plain English
Latest posts
- 7 min read
POA (Period of Availability) in plain English — EU 561 vs WTD
What Period of Availability means for HGV drivers — why POA is not a break under EU 561, how it counts under WTD, common yard and waiting scenarios, and how HGV Time Pilot treats POA on the shift timer.
#POA#drivers hours#WTD#EU 561#complianceRead article
- 7 min read
Your first week with HGV Time Pilot — timer, card download, and Pro in seven days
A practical day-by-day guide for new HGV Time Pilot users — install the Android app, run the shift timer, download your driver card, explore the 14-day Pro bonus, and decide if full compliance review is worth keeping.
#getting started#onboarding#Android#productRead article
- 5 min read
Time Pilot AI — what it knows (and doesn’t)
How HGV Time Pilot's plain-English AI assistant uses your card download and shift context, Free vs Pro message limits, and why it never replaces the tachograph.
#Time Pilot AI#product#complianceRead article
- 7 min read
Warnings vs infringements — what your tachograph card is actually saying
Plain-English difference between compliance warnings and infringements in HGV Time Pilot — how they show on Free and Pro, what to do next, and how acknowledgement reports fit.
#compliance#infringements#warnings#tachographRead article
- 6 min read
Weekly rest and the 90-hour fortnight — the EU 561 rules drivers still get wrong
Plain-English guide to regular and reduced weekly rest, compensation deadlines, the 56-hour week and 90-hour fortnight — and how HGV Time Pilot shows remaining drive time across two weeks.
#EU 561#weekly rest#fortnight#drivers hoursRead article
- 6 min read
Contractor invoicing in HGV Time Pilot Pro — branded PDFs for owner-operators and agency drivers
How the Pro Invoices tool works — business profile, letterhead, VAT treatments, bank details, line items and currencies — and how it fits next to compliance reports. Helps you produce invoices; not tax advice.
#invoicing#Pro#owner-operator#productRead article
- 6 min read
DVSA-style walkaround checks in HGV Time Pilot Pro
How Pro walkaround checks work on the web dashboard — vehicle-type checklists, defect photos, history, PDF and email export, and how they sit next to the vehicle safety tracker.
#walkaround#Pro#DVSA#vehicle complianceRead article
- 6 min read
Compliance PDF reports — weekly, fortnight, day and reference period packs explained
How HGV Time Pilot Pro's Reports hub turns your driver card data into downloadable PDFs — which report to use when, company letterhead, and the archive for re-downloading past files.
#Reports#Pro#PDF#complianceRead article
- 7 min read
WTD and reference periods, in plain English
A driver-friendly walk-through of UK Working Time Regulations for road transport — daily break tiers, 17- and 26-week reference periods, night work — and how HGV Time Pilot tracks them alongside your tachograph data.
#WTD#working time#reference period#complianceRead article
- 6 min read
Your first card download unlocks 14 days of Pro — how the HGV Time Pilot card bonus works
Not a signup trial — your first successful tachograph card import on Android unlocks 14 days of full Pro access. Rules, what you get, and what happens when it ends.
#Pro#card download#productRead article
- 7 min read
Daily Compliance Review — your day-by-day tachograph calendar explained
How HGV Time Pilot Pro turns driver card data into a colour-coded compliance calendar — warnings, infringements, shift details, vehicles, and countries.
#Daily Compliance Review#Pro#tachograph#complianceRead article
- 10 min read
"Can I drive now?" — understanding your HGV compliance status in plain English
What HGV Time Pilot's driver status headline means — all nine states, what's left on Free, and when to trust your card data over the app.
#compliance#driver status#tachograph#productRead article
- 8 min read
The HGV Time Pilot shift timer: live drivers' hours tracking on Android
How the free Android shift timer works — Driving, Break, POA and Other Work modes, 4.5-hour break alerts, WTD break hints, and background notifications for UK & EU drivers.
#shift timer#Android#drivers hours#productRead article
- 5 min read
Vehicle safety & compliance in HGV Time Pilot Pro — PMI, MOT, tacho and tyre reminders
Track PMI, MOT, tachograph calibration and tyre review dates per vehicle — with email reminders before deadlines slip. A planning aid for owner-operators and small fleets, included in Pro.
#product#vehicle compliance#ProRead article
- 3 min read
EU 561/2006 driving hours, in plain English
A driver-friendly walk-through of EU 561/2006 limits — daily and weekly driving, breaks, and rest — and how HGV Time Pilot surfaces them on shift.
#EU 561#drivers hours#complianceRead article
- 3 min read
Driver-card download on Android: what works in 2026
Which CCID smart-card readers actually work with Android in 2026, what file formats to expect, and how HGV Time Pilot makes downloads boring.
#driver card#tachograph#AndroidRead article
- 2 min read
Introducing HGV Time Pilot
Why we built a drivers' hours toolkit for UK & EU professional drivers — and what's in the first release.
#product#announcementRead article
Got a topic you want covered?
Email support@hgvtimepilot.com — driver-led suggestions go to the top of the queue.