Road transport reference periods

Under the RTR road transport regulations the reference period for the average 48-hour week is normally successive periods of 17 weeks, where there is a collective or workforce agreement, or otherwise any period of 17 weeks. As an alternative, three reference periods can be accommodated into one calendar year: 1 December-1 April, 1 April-1 August, and 1 August-1 December (RTR 4(3)(c)).

The RTR reference period can be extended by collective or workforce agreement to a period not exceeding 26 weeks. Workers should be told which applies. DfT guidance points out that different reference periods can be agreed between different groups of workers in the same company, and an agreement may even allow different reference periods for certain individuals.