HOS Rules 2026: Complete Guide to Hours of Service for Truck Drivers

• 11-hour driving limit: You can drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.

• 14-hour on-duty window: You cannot drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty — period, even with breaks.

• 30-minute break: Required after 8 cumulative hours of driving time (not on-duty time).

• 60/70-hour weekly limits: No driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 days (or 70 hours in 8 days).

• 34-hour restart: Reset your 60/70-hour clock with 34 consecutive hours off duty.

• Sleeper berth splits: Use the 8/2 or 7/3 split to extend your on-duty window when running team or overnight.

Hours of Service (HOS) rules are federal regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that govern how long commercial truck drivers can drive and work before mandatory rest. They apply to all commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers operating in interstate commerce under 49 CFR Part 395.

The purpose is straightforward: fatigued driving kills people. The FMCSA estimates drowsy driving contributes to 13% of all large truck crashes. HOS regulations are the primary tool for managing driver fatigue across the trucking industry.

These rules were most recently updated in September 2020, giving drivers more flexibility while maintaining safety limits. Here’s everything you need to know to stay compliant in 2026.

Who This Applies To HOS rules apply to property-carrying CMV drivers operating in interstate commerce with vehicles over 10,001 lbs GVWR, or any vehicle carrying hazardous materials. Passenger-carrying drivers have slightly different limits (10-hour driving limit, 15-hour on-duty limit).

There are five primary rules every truck driver must follow. Violate any one of them and you’re out of hours — the other four don’t matter.

Rule Limit Reset Requirement 11-Hour Driving Limit 11 hours of driving 10 consecutive hours off duty 14-Hour On-Duty Window 14 hours from start of duty 10 consecutive hours off duty 30-Minute Break After 8 hours of cumulative drive time 30+ min off duty or sleeper berth 60/70-Hour Weekly Limit 60 hrs/7 days or 70 hrs/8 days 34-hour restart 10-Hour Off-Duty Minimum 10 consecutive hours off duty Required before each driving shift

1. The 11-Hour Driving Limit

After taking 10 consecutive hours off duty, you may drive a maximum of 11 hours. This is your total driving time — not on-duty time, not time at a shipper waiting to be loaded. Pure behind-the-wheel drive time.

Once you’ve used your 11 hours, you cannot drive again until you’ve taken another 10 consecutive hours off duty. No exceptions, no “just a few more miles.” Your ELD will lock you out.

Common Mistake Drivers sometimes confuse driving time with on-duty time. If you spent 2 hours at a dock waiting (on-duty, not driving), that doesn’t count against your 11-hour driving limit — but it does count against your 14-hour window.

2. The 14-Hour On-Duty Window

You cannot drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. This is your “daily window” — it starts the moment you go on duty and keeps running whether you’re driving, waiting, fueling, or doing paperwork.

The 14-hour window does not pause. Taking a 2-hour break in the middle does not extend it. The clock runs from your first on-duty moment until it hits 14 hours total elapsed time.

This means even if you only drove 3 hours but burned 14 hours on duty, you’re done for the day. You cannot drive again until you’ve taken 10 consecutive hours off duty.

3. The 30-Minute Break Requirement

You must take a 30-minute break once you’ve driven for 8 cumulative hours without a break of at least 30 minutes. The 2020 rule update changed this from 8 hours of on-duty time to 8 hours of driving time — a meaningful improvement for drivers who spend time on-duty but not behind the wheel.

The break can be taken as off-duty time or as time in the sleeper berth. You don’t have to stop at exactly the 8-hour mark — just ensure you take it before your 8th cumulative hour of drive time completes.

4. The 60/70-Hour Weekly Limit

Your carrier operates on either a 7-day or 8-day cycle — and you may not drive after accumulating 60 hours on duty in any 7 consecutive days (or 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days).

This is a rolling window, not a Monday-to-Sunday reset. Every day, the oldest day drops off and the newest day is added. If your carrier runs an 8-day cycle and you worked 70 hours Monday through Saturday, you cannot drive again until enough hours from earlier days fall off the rolling window.

5. The 34-Hour Restart

To reset your 60 or 70-hour clock completely, take 34 consecutive hours off duty. This is called the “34-hour restart” or “weekly restart.”

After the 2020 rule changes, the requirement for two 1:00–5:00 a.m. periods during the restart was removed. Now any 34 consecutive hours off duty qualifies — giving drivers flexibility to restart on their own schedule rather than around specific overnight hours.

13% of large truck crashes involve driver fatigue Source: FMCSA Large Truck Crash Causation Study

If your truck has a sleeper berth, you can split your required off-duty time into two separate periods — extending your on-duty window and giving you more scheduling flexibility. The 2020 rule update added the 7/3 split option alongside the existing 8/2 split.

The 8/2 Sleeper Berth Split

Under the traditional split, you divide your off-duty time into:

At least 8 hours in the sleeper berth At least 2 hours off duty (either in the sleeper berth or elsewhere)

Neither period counts against your 14-hour window. The two periods must add up to at least 10 hours total. You can take them in either order.

The 7/3 Sleeper Berth Split (New in 2020)

The 2020 update added a second option: split into at least 7 hours in the sleeper berth and at least 3 hours off duty. As with the 8/2 split, neither period counts against your 14-hour window.

This gives drivers more flexibility — especially those running team operations or managing dock appointments that don’t align neatly with 8-hour sleeper blocks.

Pro Tip The sleeper berth split effectively “pauses” your 14-hour clock during qualifying rest periods. Smart dispatchers use the 7/3 split to help drivers reach better parking spots or hit tight delivery windows without burning through their window.

The FMCSA recognizes that rigid rules don’t fit every situation. Several important exemptions apply to specific driver categories or circumstances.

Short-Haul Exception

Drivers who operate within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location are exempt from the 30-minute break requirement and the ELD mandate — and may use a 14-hour on-duty window extended to 16 hours (two days per week). To qualify:

Must return to your normal work reporting location each day Must not have used the 16-hour exception more than twice in the previous 7 days Must keep accurate time records (paper logs acceptable)

Adverse Driving Conditions Exception

If you encounter unexpected adverse conditions — snow, ice, fog, accidents blocking traffic — that you couldn’t have known about before departure, you may extend your 11-hour driving limit by up to 2 additional hours (to 13 hours total) and your 14-hour window by 2 hours (to 16 hours).

This does not reset your weekly 60/70-hour clock. It only extends the current day’s limits when conditions genuinely couldn’t be anticipated.

Agricultural Exemptions

Drivers hauling agricultural commodities within a 150 air-mile radius of the source of the commodity are exempt from HOS rules during planting and harvesting seasons as defined by each state. This is a broad exemption that applies to livestock, raw produce, and agricultural inputs.

Emergency Declarations

When federal, state, or local authorities declare an emergency, FMCSA can issue Emergency Relief Declarations that temporarily waive HOS rules for carriers providing emergency relief. These were commonly used during COVID-19 and hurricane recovery operations.

Since December 2017, most commercial drivers must use an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) to automatically record driving time. ELDs connect to the vehicle’s engine to capture drive time, eliminating paper log manipulation.

1 ELD automatically tracks your status When your vehicle moves at 5+ mph, the ELD switches your status to “Driving.” You must manually switch between On Duty (Not Driving), Off Duty, and Sleeper Berth.

2 HOS clocks update in real time Your 11-hour, 14-hour, and 70-hour clocks are always visible on the ELD display. Your fleet manager can see them too — which helps dispatchers avoid sending you on loads that would put you over hours.

3 Roadside inspections use ELD data DOT officers can request your ELD log during a roadside inspection. You can transfer data wirelessly or display it on screen. Failure to produce an ELD log is itself a violation.

Leading fleet management platforms like Samsara and Motive include certified ELD functionality built directly into their telematics systems — meaning you get HOS tracking, GPS, and IFTA reporting in a single device.

Need an ELD with built-in HOS tracking? Compare the top-rated ELD and fleet management platforms side by side. Compare ELD Platforms →

Hours of service violations are among the most common — and most expensive — DOT compliance issues. Understanding the consequences helps drivers and carriers take them seriously.

Violation Type Driver Penalty Carrier Penalty False log entry Up to $16,864 per violation Up to $16,864 per violation Hours of service violation Up to $16,864 Up to $16,864 No ELD / ELD malfunction Out of service + fine Up to $16,864 per day Pattern of violations CDL suspension/revocation Carrier rating downgrade

Beyond fines, HOS violations appear on your CSA score — specifically in the HOS Compliance BASIC. Carriers with poor CSA scores face increased roadside inspection frequency and potential SMS interventions from FMCSA.

Out of Service A driver found to be in violation of HOS rules at a roadside inspection can be placed out of service immediately — meaning you cannot drive until you’ve accrued the required off-duty time. The load doesn’t move. Your carrier is responsible.

Modern fleet management software goes beyond basic ELD compliance. The best platforms provide:

Real-time HOS visibility for dispatchers — so they can plan loads around driver availability Automated alerts when drivers are within 1–2 hours of their limits Recap features showing how hours will roll off the 7/8-day window Violation tracking tied to CSA BASIC scores DVIR integration — linking pre/post-trip inspection records to HOS logs

Platforms like Samsara (rated 9.3/10) and Motive (rated 9.1/10) lead the industry in ELD and HOS management features, with both offering certified ELDs, driver-facing apps, and dispatcher dashboards that make compliance straightforward for fleets of any size.

What are the 5 rules for hours of service regulations? The five core HOS rules for property-carrying drivers are: (1) 11-hour driving limit after 10 hours off, (2) 14-hour on-duty window, (3) 30-minute break after 8 hours of cumulative driving, (4) 60/70-hour weekly limit over 7/8 days, and (5) 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving again. What is the new 14-hour rule for truck drivers? The 14-hour rule means you cannot drive past the 14th hour after you first come on duty, following at least 10 consecutive hours off. The window runs continuously — it doesn’t pause for breaks. Once 14 hours have elapsed, you must take 10 consecutive hours off before driving again, even if you’ve only driven a few hours. What is the 7/3 rule in trucking? The 7/3 sleeper berth split rule, added in the 2020 FMCSA update, allows drivers to split their required 10-hour off-duty period into a period of at least 7 hours in the sleeper berth and a separate period of at least 3 hours. Neither period counts against the 14-hour on-duty window, giving drivers more scheduling flexibility. What is the 70-hour 8-day rule? The 70-hour/8-day rule limits drivers operating on an 8-day cycle to a maximum of 70 hours on duty over any 8 consecutive days. Once you reach 70 hours, you cannot drive again until enough hours “fall off” the rolling 8-day window, or you take a 34-hour restart to reset your clock completely. Can a truck driver drive after 11 hours? No. The 11-hour driving limit is a hard cap. Once you’ve driven 11 hours since your last 10-hour break, you cannot drive a CMV regardless of how much time remains in your 14-hour window. You must take at least 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving again. Do HOS rules apply to local truck drivers? Yes, with a key exception. Local drivers operating within a 150 air-mile radius of their home terminal may qualify for the short-haul exception, which exempts them from the 30-minute break requirement and ELD mandate. They must return to their home terminal each day and cannot use the exception more than twice in 7 days.

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