HGV Driver Drug and Alcohol Policy: Limits, Testing and Christmas

Most haulage firms have a line in the handbook saying drivers must not drive under the influence. It rarely helps on the morning a driver turns up at the gatehouse smelling of last night, or when a night trunk driver mentions a new prescription for back pain. A written HGV driver drug and alcohol policy tells everyone, in advance, what the rules are, what happens when someone breaks them and how the company will help someone who asks for help.

This guide sets out the UK legal limits, what the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) expects a workplace policy to contain, how to approach testing and why December needs extra attention.

What are the drink drive limits for HGV drivers in the UK?

There is no separate, lower limit for lorry drivers in law. The same limits apply to everyone, but they differ between Scotland and the rest of the UK. The GOV.UK drink drive limit page sets them out:

If you run work into Scotland, the lower limit matters. The Highway Code (rule 95) also warns that alcohol can leave you unfit to drive in the morning after drinking the previous evening.

The penalties for drink driving include up to 6 months' imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a ban of at least 1 year, rising to 3 years for a second conviction within 10 years. Refusing to provide a specimen carries the same penalties. For a professional driver, a ban is the end of the job, and serious convictions can also bring a driver conduct hearing before a traffic commissioner.

Many operators set a stricter company rule: zero alcohol on duty or when reporting for duty. It removes arguments about "just under".

What does the law say about drugs and medicines?

The GOV.UK drug driving page explains two offences. It is illegal to drive when unfit because of legal or illegal drugs, and it is illegal to have certain levels of specified illegal drugs in your blood even if your driving is not affected. Police can screen for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside.

Medicines catch people out. Some benzodiazepines, opioids such as codeine and tramadol, methadone and some amphetamines have specified limits. A driver can still drive if the medicine was prescribed, they followed the advice they were given and it is not impairing them. Penalties for drug driving include a minimum 1-year ban, an unlimited fine, up to 6 months in prison and an endorsement that stays on the licence for 11 years.

Drivers need a simple, non-judgemental way to tell the office about medication that might affect them before they drive.

What should an HGV driver drug and alcohol policy include?

HSE's guidance on developing a drug and alcohol policy lists the core elements: an agreed policy (which can sit inside your health and safety policy), support for employees with a problem, clear consequences for misconduct, any screening and testing arrangements, and a way of checking whether the policy works. Employers have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act to protect employees' health, safety and welfare, and the HSE page on the law also points to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

A practical policy structure for a haulage firm:

1. Purpose and scope. Who it covers: employed drivers, agency drivers while on your work, yard shunters, fitters and office staff who move vehicles.
2. Company rules. No alcohol or drugs while on duty or reporting for duty; no alcohol in vehicles or cabs; reporting fit for work is the driver's responsibility.
3. Medication. Drivers tell the transport office (in confidence) about medicines that carry a driving warning. The office records only what it needs to decide on fitness for duty.
4. Reporting for duty. What the gatehouse or office does if a driver appears unfit: do not let them drive, keep them safe, arrange transport home, record the facts.
5. Testing. If you test: when (pre-employment, for cause, after an incident, random), who does it and how samples are handled.
6. Support. How a driver can ask for help before a problem becomes a disciplinary matter, and what support you offer.
7. Consequences. What will be treated as gross misconduct, and that possession or dealing at work is reported to the police.
8. Confidentiality and records. Who sees test results and medical information, and how long you keep them.
9. Review. When the policy is reviewed and who signs it off.

Should a haulage company test drivers for drugs and alcohol?

HSE's screening and testing guidance names drivers among the roles where there may be a case for screening, because misuse in those jobs could be dangerous. It is clear on three points. Employees must consent to a test and cannot be forced to take one. If an employee refuses when you have good grounds to test, they may face disciplinary action. And testing must be done properly, so samples cannot be contaminated or tampered with.

Decide first what you will do with a positive result, and make sure the contract and the policy both reflect the testing you intend to do. Test results are health information under UK GDPR, so limit who sees them, keep them separate from general HR files and do not keep them longer than you need. If you are introducing testing for the first time, take advice from an employment lawyer or HR specialist before the first test.

Why the Christmas period needs extra attention

December brings works parties and late nights alongside the year's heaviest peak, which is when the morning-after problem shows up. Practical steps:

• Brief drivers in late November on the limits, the morning-after risk and the Scottish limit if you run north.
• Remind the gatehouse and early shift planners what to do if someone appears unfit, and who to call.
• Make it easy for a driver to say "I'm not fit today" without fear.
• Keep cover drivers or agency options in the plan so that standing a driver down does not leave a load stranded. Our guide to agency HGV driver onboarding covers the checks for that cover.

Example: how the office handles a driver who appears unfit

*Example (fictional).* At 05:10 the shift supervisor at a 12-truck operator, Dalebank Freight, notices that driver "Gary" smells strongly of alcohol and is unsteady at the key cabinet. She does not hand over the keys. She asks him to wait in the drivers' room, tells the transport manager by phone and arranges a taxi home. She writes down the time, what she observed, who was present and what Gary said. The planner moves Gary's two drops to a spare driver. The next day the transport manager meets Gary under the policy.

The record matters as much as the decision. Treat it with the same care as your incident and near-miss reports: facts, times and names, not opinions.

Frequently asked questions

Is the drink drive limit lower for HGV drivers?

No. The legal limit is the same for all drivers, but Scotland's is lower than the limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many hauliers set a stricter zero-alcohol rule on duty.

Can I make a driver take a drug test?

HSE guidance says employees must consent and cannot be forced. If your policy and contract provide for testing and you have good grounds, refusing can be treated as a disciplinary matter.

Can drivers take prescribed medicines and still drive?

Yes, if it was prescribed, they follow the advice given and it does not impair their driving.

Does a drink-drive ban affect a driver's HGV entitlement?

A ban stops the driver driving any vehicle for its duration. Serious convictions can also lead to a driver conduct hearing before a traffic commissioner about their vocational entitlement.

Where HauliK fits

HauliK does not test anyone and is not an HR system. What it gives you is the context around a fitness-for-duty decision: who is assigned to which vehicle and job, documents stored against the driver record, in-app messages with searchable history, and expiry dates for licences and Driver CPC so you can see the wider picture. When a driver is stood down, the driver app and dispatch tools let the planner reassign the work and keep the job record intact.

If you want to see how that works with your own fleet, the plans start from one vehicle and there is a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Pair it with the fatigue risk management guide, since tiredness and impairment often show the same warning signs at the gatehouse.