Felixstowe operation sees HGV driver caught driving for 33 hours before required rest
Five foreign HGV drivers collectively incurred fines totalling £7,300—all related to drivers' hours offences
A weekend of enforcement in Felixstowe last month has exposed "unbelievable" driving hour violations among HGV drivers, including one driver found to have worked an extraordinary 63 hours before taking a required rest. The operation, led by the Commercial Vehicle Unit (CVU) and supported by local and national agencies, shone a spotlight on both fast food delivery drivers and HGV operators coming into the UK.
The first phase took place on Saturday, 20 September, focusing on fast food delivery drivers—an area highlighted as an emerging concern within the so-called "gig economy." Of the 28 vehicles stopped, 15 drivers underwent Home Office Immigration Enforcement checks, with all found to be working legitimately. Other findings included a driver delivering food without correct insurance and a defective tyre, plus a range of offences from unroadworthy vehicles to tinted windows and seat belt violations.
The operation took a dramatic turn during its second phase at Felixstowe Port on Sunday, 21 September. Here, officers turned their focus to HGVs, checking not only for illegal immigration but also examining whether drivers adhered to mandated rest periods.
Of the 26 HGVs stopped, 13 were found with no offences. However, eight drivers were given advice regarding drivers’ hours, and five foreign HGV drivers collectively incurred fines totalling £7,300—all related to drivers' hours offences. The most shocking statistics to emerge showed one HGV driver had driven for 22 straight hours with only a single hour of rest, while another had managed to work 63 hours in total—including 33 hours behind the wheel and 2,000 miles covered—before eventually taking a mandated rest period.
PC Terry Harvey of the CVU underlined the dangers of such behaviour: “The two highlighted driver hours offences were particularly concerning – anyone not taking the required rest breaks when driving a vehicle of that size is very clearly putting the lives of other road users at risk.”
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, found the statistics "unbelievable," saying: “The way we live our lives has changed drastically over the past years and it is important that policing evolves too... I find it absolutely unbelievable that drivers, who rely on their driving licence for their livelihood, would take such a cavalier attitude to their safety and the safety of other road users. I hope the publicity around this recent campaign will make irresponsible drivers think twice before getting behind the wheel.”
The operation is part of an ongoing commitment, with officials promising more enforcement actions to come.