Cabotage Rules for HGV Drivers Working in the UK and EU
Scope
Cabotage — domestic road haulage in a country by a vehicle registered / based elsewhere, after an international journey. Exact counts and time windows change with law and UK–EU arrangements; this article is about the driver habit of not guessing.
Why drivers get involved
Roadside officers and clients ask for journey history. If the combination has already used its allowed domestic movements, another “quick local drop” can be illegal even when the trailer is empty-ish and the rate is good.
What you should know before accepting
- Whether today’s work is international, domestic after international, or purely domestic for a-based operator
- What paperwork / CMR / instructions traffic gave you for the sequence of loads
- Who to call if a shipper adds a local job that was not planned
If pressured to take an extra local load
Do not invent a story at the gate. Call the operator, state the request, and wait for a clear yes that it is lawful. “Everyone does one more” is not a defence.
What this article does not do
It does not list every current numerical limit — those belong in your operator’s compliance brief for the corridors you run. Your job is to refuse blind improvisation.
Driver habit
Know which side of the border the operator says you are on for cabotage counting, and keep the journey papers that prove the planned sequence.
