Hours of Service Rules Explained for Truck Drivers

Truck driver hours of service rules limit how long a property-carrying CDL driver can drive and work: no more than 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off, no driving after the 14th hour on duty, a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and a weekly cap of 60 or 70 on-duty hours. Everything else, from the sleeper berth split to the 34-hour restart, is a way of managing those core limits. This guide walks through each rule with real examples.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change, so always confirm details with the official FMCSA regulations in 49 CFR Part 395.

Key takeaways#

• 11 hours is your driving limit, and it only resets after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• 14 hours is your on-duty window. Breaks, fuel stops, and detention do not pause it.
• 30-minute break is required after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and it can be on duty not driving.
• 60/70 hours is your rolling weekly limit, and a 34-hour restart can reset it.
• The sleeper berth split (7/3 or 8/2) is the only way to stretch your 14-hour window.
• Adverse driving conditions can add up to 2 hours to both the 11-hour and 14-hour limits.
• Most drivers must log on an ELD, but short-haul drivers who meet the exception can use time records instead.

Who do the hours of service rules apply to?#

The federal hours of service (HOS) rules in 49 CFR Part 395 apply to drivers of commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. In general, that includes vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, vehicles placarded for hazardous materials, and passenger vehicles above certain seating thresholds.

This guide focuses on property-carrying drivers, which covers most CDL truck driving jobs. Passenger-carrying drivers (bus and motorcoach) follow a different set of limits: 10 hours of driving after 8 consecutive hours off, and no driving after 15 hours on duty. Many states adopt the federal rules for intrastate drivers, but some have their own variations, so intrastate drivers should check their state's rules.

The 11-hour driving limit#

You may drive a maximum of 11 hours after taking 10 consecutive hours off duty.

Only time behind the wheel counts toward the 11 hours. Loading, fueling, and inspections are on-duty time that count toward your 14-hour window, but not toward your 11 hours of driving.

Example: You start your shift at 6:00 a.m. after 10 hours off. You drive 5 hours, spend 2 hours at a shipper, then drive 6 more hours. You have now used all 11 driving hours at 7:00 p.m., even though your 14-hour window technically runs until 8:00 p.m.

How does the 14-hour rule work?#

The 14-hour rule is the one that trips up the most drivers. Once you come on duty after 10 consecutive hours off, a 14-hour clock starts. You cannot drive after the 14th consecutive hour, no matter how many driving hours you have left.

The key word is consecutive. The clock keeps running through:

• Lunch or meal breaks
• Fuel stops and showers
• Detention time at shippers and receivers
• Traffic and waiting for a load assignment

After the 14th hour, you can still do non-driving work, but you cannot drive again until you take 10 consecutive hours off (or complete a valid sleeper berth split).

This is why detention time matters so much to drivers. Three hours sitting at a dock is three hours you never get back on your 14. If you are comparing carriers, it is worth asking how they handle detention, which is one of the questions to ask a trucking recruiter before you sign on.

The 30-minute break rule#

You must take a 30-minute break once you have driven 8 cumulative hours without at least a 30-minute interruption.

Since the 2020 update, that break can be:

• Off duty
• In the sleeper berth
• On duty not driving (for example, fueling, loading, or waiting at a dock)
• Any combination of those, as long as it totals 30 consecutive minutes

The 30-minute break does not extend your 14-hour window. It just resets your 8-hour driving counter.

What is the 60/70-hour rule?#

The 60/70-hour rule caps your total on-duty time over a rolling period:

• 60 hours in 7 consecutive days if your carrier does not operate vehicles every day of the week
• 70 hours in 8 consecutive days if your carrier operates vehicles every day of the week

This limit counts all on-duty time, not just driving. Once you hit 60 or 70, you cannot drive until enough hours "fall off" the back end of your rolling period, or until you take a 34-hour restart.

Drivers often call the hours they have left their "recap." If you worked 11 hours eight days ago, those 11 hours come back to you today on a 70-hour/8-day schedule.

How does the 34-hour restart work?#

A 34-hour restart lets you reset your 60/70-hour clock to zero by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off duty (or in the sleeper berth).

A few practical points:

• The restart is optional. You can manage your hours with the rolling recap instead.
• Earlier restrictions requiring two overnight periods from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. and limiting use to once a week are not currently enforced.
• A restart is especially useful for OTR and regional drivers who run hard for several days and then take a reset on the road or at home.

Home time policies often line up with restarts. If you are weighing lifestyle trade-offs, our breakdown of OTR vs. regional vs. local trucking jobs covers how schedules usually play out.

Sleeper berth split explained#

The sleeper berth provision lets you split your required 10 hours off into two periods, and it is the only legal way to pause the 14-hour window.

To qualify:

1. One period must be at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
2. The other period must be at least 2 consecutive hours, off duty, in the sleeper berth, or a combination.
3. The two periods must add up to at least 10 hours.

The most common splits are 8/2 and 7/3. Either period can come first. When you pair two qualifying periods, neither one counts against your 14-hour window.

How to calculate your hours after a split: Your available driving and on-duty time is measured from the end of the first rest period. Add up the driving time before and after the most recent qualifying rest, and it cannot exceed 11. Add up the on-duty time on either side of that rest (excluding the rest itself), and you cannot drive past 14.

Example (7/3 split):

1. You start at 6:00 a.m. and drive 6 hours until 12:00 p.m.
2. You take 3 hours off duty from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
3. You drive 5 more hours until 8:00 p.m. You have now driven 11 hours total.
4. You take 7 hours in the sleeper berth from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

The 3-hour and 7-hour periods pair up to make 10. At 3:00 a.m., you count only the time between the two rest periods: 5 hours of driving and 5 hours on duty. That leaves you 6 hours of driving and 9 hours of on-duty window. If you then take another qualifying break, you recalculate again using the period between your two most recent rests.

Split calculations get confusing quickly, which is why most ELDs now show the math for you. When in doubt, trust your ELD and review the FMCSA hours of service guidance rather than a rule of thumb.

Adverse driving conditions exception#

If you run into unexpected adverse driving conditions, such as snow, fog, or a road closure caused by a crash, you can extend both your 11-hour driving limit and your 14-hour window by up to 2 hours.

The conditions must be something you could not reasonably have known about when you started your trip. Normal rush-hour traffic or clearly forecast weather usually does not count. Make a note on your log explaining the condition.

Short-haul exception#

The short-haul exception in 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1) lets certain local drivers skip logbooks and ELDs entirely. A CDL driver qualifies if they:

• Stay within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location
• Return to that location at the end of each duty tour
• Are released from work within 14 consecutive hours
• Get at least 10 consecutive hours off between shifts

The carrier must keep time records showing when the driver came on and went off duty, total on-duty hours each day, and total time for the preceding 7 days. Drivers using this exception are also exempt from the 30-minute break requirement.

There is also a separate 16-hour short-haul exception. Drivers who returned to their work reporting location and were released within 14 hours on their last 5 duty tours may extend their window to 16 hours once every 7 consecutive days, or after a 34-hour restart.

Local jobs that fall under the short-haul exception are a popular path for drivers who want to be home every night. You can filter for them on the NovaLinx job board.

Summary table: hours of service rules at a glance#

ELD rules for truck drivers#

Most drivers who are required to keep records of duty status must use an electronic logging device (ELD) that meets FMCSA's technical specifications and is listed on FMCSA's registered device list. The ELD connects to the truck's engine and automatically records driving time.

Who is exempt from the ELD mandate?#

• Drivers who keep records of duty status for no more than 8 days in any 30-day period
• Drivers using the short-haul exception with time records
• Driveaway-towaway operations where the vehicle being driven is the commodity
• Drivers of vehicles with an engine model year older than 2000

What drivers need to know about ELDs#

• You must be able to show an officer your logs for the current day and the previous 7 consecutive days.
• Carry an ELD instruction card, a malfunction instruction sheet, and a supply of blank paper logs for at least 8 days in case the device fails.
• If your ELD malfunctions, note it and notify your carrier within 24 hours. Your carrier generally has 8 days to repair or replace it.
• Personal conveyance (moving the truck off duty for personal reasons) and yard moves must be annotated correctly. Using personal conveyance to advance a load is a common violation.

Common hours of service violations#

These are among the issues drivers and carriers most often get cited for during roadside inspections and audits:

1. Driving past the 14-hour window, often after long detention
2. Exceeding the 11-hour driving limit
3. Missing the 30-minute break
4. Exceeding the 60/70-hour limit
5. False or incomplete logs, including misused personal conveyance
6. No record of duty status or no ELD when one is required
7. Missing supporting documents or ELD instruction materials

Violations can place you out of service on the spot, affect your carrier's CSA scores, and follow you on your Pre-Employment Screening Program record. Keeping clean logs is one of the simplest ways to stay attractive to good carriers. For more on recent regulatory shifts, see our overview of 2025 FMCSA regulation changes.

Practical tips for staying compliant#

• Plan around the 14, not the 11. Your window usually runs out before your driving hours do.
• Build in detention buffers. Assume a shipper will take longer than scheduled.
• Use your 30-minute break strategically. Taking it while you wait to load uses time that is already on the clock.
• Learn your ELD's split sleeper view. Most devices show exactly how many hours you have left after a split.

Find a carrier that plans loads around your hours#

A carrier's dispatch culture has a huge effect on how hard HOS rules are to live with. Fleets that plan realistic loads, respect detention, and schedule resets around home time make compliance feel routine instead of stressful.

If you are looking for that kind of carrier, browse CDL jobs on NovaLinx, where you can filter by home time, route type, and pay. Drivers can also download the NovaLinx app to get matched on the go. If you run a fleet and want drivers who fit your schedule, post your jobs as a carrier.