If you drive for agencies, subcontract, or run your own limited company, the week often ends the same way: hours sorted, then a scramble to raise an invoice that looks professional and has the right VAT line and bank details.
Invoices in HGV Time Pilot Pro is a web Tools feature for that moment — branded PDF invoices with a reusable business profile, UK + EU field basics, VAT treatments, bank details, and manual line items. Same login as your tachograph compliance; different job from compliance PDF reports.
This post walks through what ships today, who it is for, and the hard limits. It helps you produce invoices. It is not tax, accounting, or legal advice.
Who it is for
- Freelancers and agency drivers billing a umbrella, agency, or haulier
- Subcontractors sending regular PDFs to a main contractor
- Owner-operators who want one place for hours tools and simple invoicing
- Pro subscribers — including anyone in their 14-day Pro card bonus
It is not a full accounts package. No Making Tax Digital sync, no automatic payment chasing, no Peppol/FatturaPA e-invoicing networks in this version. Raise a clean PDF; keep the books where you already keep them.
Where to find it
- Sign in at v3.hgvtimepilot.com.
- Open Tools → Invoices.
Pro required. Web-first — ideal on a laptop after the week, or a tablet in the digs. The Android app stays focused on the shift timer and card download.
Set up once: business profile and letterhead
Before the first invoice, fill in your business profile (the same family of settings that feeds company letterhead on compliance reports):
- Trading or company name
- Optional logo and accent colour
- UK company details you choose to show (address, company number, and similar)
- Bank details for the PDF payment block
- VAT treatment defaults for how you usually bill
Set it once; new invoices inherit the profile. Change it later when your details change — already-downloaded PDFs keep what they were generated with.
VAT treatments (basics, not advice)
The tool supports common UK + EU field basics so the PDF can show the right kind of VAT story for your situation:
| Treatment | Typical use (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Not registered | Below VAT threshold / not VAT-registered |
| Standard | Standard-rated supplies |
| Reverse charge | Where reverse charge applies to the supply |
| Exempt | Exempt supplies |
Optional cash accounting can be reflected where you use that approach. Exact VAT position depends on your registration and the supply — confirm with your accountant. Time Pilot does not decide your VAT liability.
Building an invoice
1. Create or open a draft
Invoices support drafts and sequential numbers so you are not inventing invoice numbers in a notebook.
2. Add line items
Enter manual line items — description, quantity, rate. Pulling hours automatically from the shift timer or card logbook is on the roadmap; today you type (or paste) what you are billing.
3. Choose currency
GBP, EUR, and common EU currencies are supported — useful if you bill a continental agency one week and a UK one the next.
4. Download the PDF
Generate a branded PDF ready to send to your employer, agency, or client. Sending email from Time Pilot to the client is planned; for now, download and attach in your own mail.
How invoicing fits next to compliance reports
| Reports hub | Invoices tool | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Evidence of hours / compliance from the card | Bill for work done |
| Audience | You, transport manager, your records | Agency, contractor, client |
| Letterhead | Company letterhead in Settings | Same business-profile family |
| Data source | Tachograph card analysis | Manual line items (today) |
Use Reports when someone asks "show me your week." Use Invoices when someone asks "send me your invoice."
Free vs Pro
Free: no invoice generation.
Pro (or card bonus):
- Business profile, logo, accent colour
- VAT treatment fields and bank details on the PDF
- Manual line items, drafts, sequential numbers
- Multi-currency download
Same subscription as Daily Compliance Review, walkaround checks, and the vehicle safety tracker.
What it is not
Canonical honesty, because this topic attracts the wrong expectations:
Helps you produce invoices — not tax or legal advice. You remain responsible for VAT, CIS, IR35, company filings, and whatever your accountant or HMRC requires.
Do not treat a Time Pilot PDF as proof that a VAT treatment is correct for your contract. When in doubt, ask your accountant before you send the file.
What's next (roadmap, no dates)
We shipped the essentials first. On the roadmap — not claimed as live:
- Hours from timer / logbook into line items
- Email invoice to client from the dashboard
- Recurring invoices and templates
- Payment tracking
- Advanced VAT and credit notes
- Country e-invoicing networks (e.g. Peppol, FatturaPA)
- Accounting / MTD sync
Vote or request detail on the roadmap page if a follow-up would change how you work.
A practical end-of-week routine
- Download your card and skim Daily Compliance Review — know the week was clean.
- Optional: generate a weekly compliance PDF for your own file.
- Open Tools → Invoices, create this week's invoice from your timesheet or agency portal hours.
- Download the PDF and send it through your usual channel.
- File the PDF with your accounts folder the same way you always have.
Frequently asked questions
Can I invoice without Pro?
No. Invoicing is a Pro Tools feature.
Does this connect to Xero / QuickBooks / MTD?
Not yet. Download the PDF and import or file it in your existing process. Sync is on the roadmap.
Will it pull hours from my shift timer automatically?
Not in the current release. Manual line items today; timer/logbook pull is planned.
Can I use the same logo on compliance reports?
Yes — business profile / letterhead settings are meant to cover branded PDFs across Tools, including Reports.
Is this suitable for EU clients?
Field basics and common EU currencies are there to help UK and EU freelancers produce a sensible PDF. Country-specific e-invoicing mandates are not covered yet.
Does raising an invoice change my tachograph data?
No. Completely separate from card analysis.
Raise your first invoice
- Be on Pro, or unlock 14 days of Pro with a card download.
- Sign in at v3.hgvtimepilot.com.
- Open Tools → Invoices, complete your business profile, and create a draft.
For vehicle daily checks in the same Tools hub, see walkaround checks. Pricing: /upgrade/. Questions: support@hgvtimepilot.com.
The Invoices tool helps you produce PDF invoices. It is not tax, accounting, or legal advice. Always follow your accountant's guidance and current regulations.