US hours-of-service rules for truck drivers

The daily limits (property-carrying drivers)

• 11-hour driving limit: up to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• 14-hour window: no driving after the 14th hour since coming on duty, following 10 hours off. Breaks do not extend the window.
• 30-minute break: required after 8 cumulative hours of driving; on-duty not-driving time or off-duty time counts.

The weekly limits

• 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours in 8 days if the carrier operates every day of the week.
• 34-hour restart: 34 or more consecutive hours off duty resets the 7/8-day period.

Exceptions carriers use

• Sleeper berth: the 10 hours off can be split into two periods: one of at least 7 consecutive hours in the berth and one of at least 2 hours, together totalling at least 10 hours (for example 7 and 3 hours, or 8 and 2). The qualifying pair does not count against the 14-hour window.
• Adverse driving conditions: up to 2 extra hours of driving and on-duty time when unexpected conditions slow the trip.
• Short-haul exception: drivers within a 150 air-mile radius who return to their work location within 14 hours do not need an ELD log or the 30-minute break, but the carrier must still keep time records.

Planning loads around HOS

Plan pickups and deliveries so that loading time does not consume the 14-hour window. A long detention at a shipper can end the driving day before the miles are run — ask the broker about appointment times and detention pay before you accept the load.

• USA load board
• Owner-operator loads

Frequently asked questions