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Journey management plan template

A plan for one work journey by road, made before it starts and closed when it ends. Record the driver, vehicle, its laden height and which drivers' hours rules apply, and why the journey is needed. Add each stage of the route with GPS points, planned times, driving minutes, the break at the end, hazards such as low bridges, weight limits, level crossings and weather, and the check-in time. The form adds up the driving time, breaks and distance, flags a stage over two hours, a bridge lower than the vehicle and driving beyond the daily limit, and holds the steps for a missed check-in. Twelve pre-departure checks lead to approval, and a completion section records what actually happened. For people working alone at a site, see the lone working risk assessment.

For transport, operations and safety managers who plan long or unusual journeys for drivers, engineers and crews, and want an approved plan with check-ins and a record of how it went.

Written for Great Britain (Highway Code, GOV.UK drivers' hours, HSE). Elsewhere, use the plan and take the driving limits from your own rules.

  • Journey, driver, vehicle height and the drivers' hours rules that apply, plus why the journey is needed
  • Route stages with GPS points, times, driving minutes, breaks, hazards and check-ins
  • Live totals for driving time, breaks, distance and the longest stage, with notes against break advice and daily limits
  • Low bridge headroom checked against the vehicle height on every stage
  • Missed check-in steps, twelve pre-departure checks with approval, and a completion record with arrival GPS
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What should a journey management plan include?

A journey plan is useful when it is specific enough to act on: each stage with its times, driving minutes and break, the real hazards on that road with what the driver will do about them, check-in times someone is waiting for, and steps for a missed check-in that say who does what and when. Closing it afterwards shows whether the plan held.

Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 28 October 2026 against HSE, employers: driving and riding safely for work (overview), HSE, employers: plan and manage journeys, HSE, employers: make sure drivers and riders are safe, HSE, lone working: training, supervision and monitoring, The Highway Code, rules for drivers and motorcyclists (89 to 102), GOV.UK, drivers' hours: assimilated rules and GOV.UK, drivers' hours: GB domestic rules.

How to write a journey management plan

Plan with the driver, and use a route source that shows restrictions for the vehicle.

  1. Decide if the journey is needed

    Record why it is needed and the alternatives considered, such as a video call, rail or combining trips.

  2. Plan the stages

    Split the route at each stop. For each stage add GPS points, times, driving minutes, the break, hazards with controls, and the check-in time.

  3. Check the totals

    Read the driving time, breaks and longest stage against the notes, and re-plan any stage over two hours or any bridge lower than the vehicle.

  4. Set the check-ins

    Name the journey manager and backup, the check-in method, the grace period, and what happens at each step after a missed check-in.

  5. Approve and close

    Work through the twelve checks, approve with any conditions, then record the actual times, check-ins, delays and issues when the journey ends.

What makes a journey management plan useful

Route stages: driving minutes, break, hazards and controls, check-in time

Stage 2, Scotch Corner to Tebay by the A66 and M6, 08:35 to 09:55, 80 minutes, 30-minute break at Tebay. Hazard: weather, yellow wind warning; the A66 can close to high-sided vehicles. Driver calls before leaving Scotch Corner and takes the A69 if it is closed. Check-in due by 10:00.

Fictional example. Record the actual evidence and approved arrangements for your job.

A common recording mistake

Writing one line for the whole route with an arrival time, so nobody knows where the breaks are, which check-in has been missed, or what the journey manager should do when the driver goes quiet.

What happens next

Close the plan when the driver arrives, record any missed check-in and what was done, report incidents and near misses, and update the standard route if the journey showed a problem.

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Every question in the journey management plan template

A journey management plan for one work journey by road: driver, vehicle, height and drivers' hours rules, the need for the journey, route stages with GPS points, times, driving minutes, breaks, hazards (low bridges against the vehicle height, weight limits, level crossings, weather, night driving) and check-ins, calculated driving time and breaks with notes against the Highway Code and drivers' hours limits, missed check-in escalation steps, twelve pre-departure checks with approval, and completion with actual times, arrival GPS, check-ins and issues. 7 sections and 120 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.

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Details you only enter once

Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.

  • Project: the project name
  • Start address: the site address, from the space or the project
  • Organisation: the project's customer

Journey details

  • ProjectShort answer

    Filled in from the project in SiteSurvey.

    Fills in from the project name
  • Start addressShort answer
    Fills in from the site address, from the space or the project
  • OrganisationShort answer
    Fills in from the project's customer
  • Location (GPS)Short answer
  • Plan date*Date
  • Planned by*Short answer
  • Journey referenceShort answer
  • Date of travel*Date
  • Purpose of the journey*Short answer
  • Destination address*Short answer
  • Driver or drivers*Short answer
  • PassengersNumber
  • Vehicle registration or fleet number*Short answer
  • Vehicle*Choose one
    • Car
    • Van up to 3.5 tonnes
    • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes
    • Articulated lorry
    • Minibus
    • Other
  • Vehicle height, laden (m)Number

    From the cab notice or a measurement. Used against headroom on the route.

  • Drivers' hours rules that apply*Choose one
    • Assimilated rules (vehicle over 3.5 tonnes)
    • GB domestic rules
    • AETR rules
    • None: car or vehicle not covered
    • Not sure: check before travel
  • Weather on siteAnswer
  • GuidanceA plan for one journey by road, made before it starts and closed after it ends. It does not check weekly driving limits, rest periods or duty time: check those from the tachograph or hours records.
  • CheckFind out which drivers' hours rules apply before the plan is approved. GOV.UK: it depends on the vehicle's weight, where it is driven and what it is used for.
    Shown when “Drivers' hours rules that apply” is “Not sure: check before travel”

Need for the journey

  • GuidanceHSE: first, consider whether the journey is necessary.
  • Is the journey necessary?*Choose one
    • Yes: it cannot be done another way
    • It could be done another way
  • Alternatives consideredTick all that apply
    • Video or phone call
    • Rail or other transport
    • Combine with another journey
    • Overnight stay to split the journey
    • Local contractor or courier
    • None suitable
  • Why this journey, and why by road*Notes
  • CheckIf the journey could be done another way, record why it is still going ahead, or cancel it.
    Shown when “Is the journey necessary?” is “It could be done another way”

Route stages

  • GuidanceOne entry per leg, ending at each planned stop. Check restrictions on a route that suits the vehicle: HSE warns not to rely on in-vehicle navigation, as the map data may not be up to date.
  • Stages
    Repeat for each stage. Each one asks:
    • From*Short answer
    • From (GPS)Short answer
    • To*Short answer
    • To (GPS)Short answer
    • RoadsShort answer

      For example M62, A1(M), A66.

    • Planned departureTime
    • Planned arrivalTime
    • Planned driving time (minutes)*Number
    • Distance (miles)Number
    • CheckMore than two hours of driving in this stage. Highway Code rule 91 recommends a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving: split the stage.
      Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
    • Break at the end of this stage (minutes)Number
    • WhereShort answer

      Services, rest area or site welfare.

    • Hazards on this stageTick all that apply
      • Low bridge or height limit
      • Weight limit
      • Width or length restriction
      • Level crossing
      • Tunnel
      • Narrow or single-track road
      • Roadworks or closures
      • Weather
      • Night driving or tiredness period
      • Busy delivery site or yard
      • Other
    • Lowest headroom on this stage (m)*Number

      From the bridge sign or a lorry route map.

      Shown when “Hazards on this stage” includes “Low bridge or height limit”
    • WarningThe vehicle is as tall as or taller than the headroom. Re-route this stage.
      Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
    • Hazards and how they are controlled*Notes
      Shown when “Hazards on this stage” is answered
    • Check in at the end of this stage?*Yes or No
    • Check-in due byTime
      Shown when “Check in at the end of this stage?” is Yes
    • st_longWorked out by the form
    • st_clashWorked out by the form
    • st_ci_nWorked out by the form
  • StagesWorked out by the form
  • Planned driving (minutes)Worked out by the form
  • Planned driving (hours)Worked out by the form
  • Planned breaks (minutes)Worked out by the form
  • Distance (miles)Worked out by the form
  • Longest stage (minutes)Worked out by the form
  • Stages over two hoursWorked out by the form
  • Stages with headroom too lowWorked out by the form
  • Planned check-insWorked out by the form
  • CheckPlanned driving is over 9 hours. Assimilated rules: no more than 9 hours driving a day, extendable to 10 hours twice a week. Check this driver's week before approving.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • WarningPlanned driving is over 10 hours, more than the daily limit under these rules. Re-plan with a second driver or an overnight stop.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • CheckOver 4 hours 30 minutes of driving with less than 45 minutes of breaks planned. Assimilated rules need a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes after no more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Any driving between midnight and 6 am?*Yes or No
  • CheckHighway Code rule 91 advises avoiding long journeys between midnight and 6 am. HSE says sleep-related incidents are most likely between 2 am and 6 am, and 2 pm and 4 pm. Plan extra breaks or change the times.
    Shown when “Any driving between midnight and 6 am?” is Yes
  • Weather forecast for the journeyNotes

    And the plan if it gets worse, for example a route for high-sided vehicles in strong wind.

Check-ins and missed check-ins

  • GuidanceHSE: keep in touch with people who work alone, at pre-agreed intervals, with a reliable way of knowing they have arrived or returned, and test it. Drivers check in when parked: no handheld phone use while driving.
  • Journey manager (receives check-ins)*Short answer
  • Phone*Short answer
  • Backup contact if the journey manager cannot be reached*Short answer
  • How the driver checks in*Choose one
    • Phone call
    • Text message
    • App or telematics check-in
    • Radio
    • Other
  • Grace period before a check-in counts as missed (minutes)*Number
  • Steps when a check-in is missed
    Repeat for each step. Each one asks:
    • Minutes after the missed check-in*Number
    • What happens*Short answer
    • Who does it*Short answer
  • Minutes to the last stepWorked out by the form
  • Information the journey manager holdsTick all that apply
    • Vehicle registration and colour
    • This route plan
    • Driver's mobile number
    • Tracker or telematics login
    • Emergency contact (held by HR)

Pre-departure checks and approval

  • Journey necessary, alternatives consideredChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Route suits the vehicleChoose one

    Height, weight, width and length restrictions checked on the whole route, including the last mile to the site.

    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Driver knows the vehicle height, laden and emptyChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Driving time and breaks within the drivers' hours rules that applyChoose one

    And the driver's hours earlier in the week checked.

    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Weather forecast checked, with a plan if it gets worseChoose one

    Nobody is pressed to drive in exceptionally difficult weather.

    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Destination told of the arrival time; its site rules, parking and unloading knownChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Driver fit, rested and briefed on the plan and check-in timesChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Vehicle daily check done and defects clearedChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Load secured before departure, with time allowed to do itChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Hands-free phone set up; no handheld use while drivingChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Breakdown kit: warning triangle, high-visibility clothing, charged phoneChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Toilets, rest areas or welfare on the route and at the siteChoose one
    • Acceptable
    • Action needed
    • Not checked
    • Not applicable
  • What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Checks acceptableWorked out by the form
  • Needing actionWorked out by the form
  • Not checkedWorked out by the form
  • Ready score (%)Worked out by the form
  • ReadinessWorked out by the form
  • GuidanceReadiness uses SiteSurvey's own rule: every check acceptable is Ready; 75% or more with no headroom problem is Ready once the actions are done; anything else is Not ready.
  • Approved by*Short answer
  • Approval*Choose one
    • Approved to travel
    • Approved with the changes noted
    • Not approved: re-plan
  • Changes or conditions*Notes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • WarningA stage has headroom at or below the vehicle height, but the plan is approved. Re-route it first.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Approver signature*Signature

Completion

  • GuidanceFill this in when the journey ends.
  • Journey*Choose one
    • Completed as planned
    • Completed with changes
    • Abandoned or postponed
    • Not yet travelled
  • Actual departureTime
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Actual arrivalTime
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Arrival point (GPS)Short answer
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Delay against the plan (minutes)Number
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • All check-ins made on time?Yes or No
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • Check-ins missed*Number
    Shown when “All check-ins made on time?” is No
  • What happened, and was the escalation followed?*Notes
    Shown when “All check-ins made on time?” is No
  • Issues on the journeyTick all that apply
    • None
    • Road closure or diversion
    • Traffic delay
    • Weather
    • Vehicle defect
    • Site access problem
    • Fatigue: extra break taken
    • Incident or near miss
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • DetailsNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  • CheckReport the incident or near miss through your incident reporting system. HSE asks employers to record and investigate work-related road incidents and near misses.
    Shown when “Issues on the journey” includes “Incident or near miss”
  • PhotosPhotos

    Optional. For example a restriction on the route or the site access.

Actions and sign-off

  • Items needing actionWorked out by the form
  • ResultWorked out by the form
  • Actions
    Repeat for each action. Each one asks:
    • Action*Notes
    • PriorityChoose one
      • Before the next journey
      • This week
      • At the next route review
    • Who will do it*Short answer
    • Due byDate
    • Status*Choose one
      • Open
      • In progress
      • Done, checked
    • Photo when donePhotos
      Shown when “Status” is “Done, checked”
  • Actions still openWorked out by the form
  • Decision*Choose one
    • Journey closed, no further action
    • Journey closed, actions listed
    • Re-plan before this journey is used again
  • Next review of this route planDate
  • SummaryNotes
  • Journey manager nameShort answer
  • Journey manager signature*Signature
  • Driver nameShort answer
  • Driver signatureSignature

See it filled in

A completed journey management plan report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.

See completed form (PDF) ↗

Journey management plan FAQs

Is a journey management plan a legal requirement?

The law does not name the document, but HSE says employers must manage the risks to workers who drive for work and do a risk assessment, looking mainly at the journey, the driver and the vehicle. A journey management plan is a practical way to do the journey part for a long or unusual trip, and to show that it was planned, approved and checked.

Source: HSE, employers: driving and riding safely for work (overview).

How often should drivers take a break?

Highway Code rule 91 recommends a break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving, and advises avoiding long journeys between midnight and 6 am. For vehicles under the assimilated rules, GOV.UK says a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes must be taken after no more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving. The form flags any stage over two hours and, under the assimilated rules, less than 45 minutes of breaks for more than 4 hours 30 minutes of driving.

Sources: The Highway Code, rules for drivers and motorcyclists (89 to 102) and GOV.UK, drivers' hours: assimilated rules.

How many hours can a driver drive in a day?

It depends on the rules that apply to the vehicle. Under the assimilated rules, no more than 9 hours a day, extendable to 10 hours twice a week. Under the GB domestic rules for goods vehicles, no more than 10 hours a day. The form warns when the planned driving goes past these. It does not check weekly limits, rest periods or duty time; check those from the tachograph or hours records.

Sources: GOV.UK, drivers' hours: assimilated rules and GOV.UK, drivers' hours: GB domestic rules.

What should happen when a driver misses a check-in?

Whatever the plan says, decided before the journey starts. HSE says you must keep in touch with people who work alone, at pre-agreed intervals, with a reliable way of knowing they have arrived or returned, and that you should test it. The form records the journey manager, a backup contact, the grace period and each escalation step with the minutes after the missed check-in and who acts.

Source: HSE, lone working: training, supervision and monitoring.

How does the plan deal with low bridges?

HSE advises avoiding restrictions such as overhead bridges, not relying on in-vehicle navigation because the map data may not be up to date, and checking that drivers know the height of their vehicle laden and empty. The form takes the vehicle's laden height, asks for the lowest headroom on any stage marked with a low bridge, and shows a red note if the headroom is not higher than the vehicle.

Sources: HSE, employers: plan and manage journeys and HSE, employers: make sure drivers and riders are safe.

Does the driver fill in the completion section?

Either the driver or the journey manager, once the journey ends. It records whether the journey went as planned, the actual departure and arrival, the arrival point by GPS, the delay, whether every check-in was made, and any issues such as diversions, weather, vehicle defects or an incident. An incident or near miss shows a reminder to report it through your own incident system.

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