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Level 1: Getting started · Lesson 3 of 17

Hours of service

Hours of service (HOS) are the federal rules on how long a driver of a property-carrying truck can drive and work. Every plan you make has to fit inside them. Breaking them is dangerous, illegal for the driver and the company, and pushing a driver to break them is illegal too.

There are four duty statuses: driving, on duty not driving (loading, fueling, inspecting, paperwork), sleeper berth and off duty. The limits run on these statuses.

The 11-hour rule: after 10 hours in a row off duty, a driver can drive up to 11 hours. The 14-hour rule: the driver can't drive after the 14th hour since coming on duty. Off-duty time in the middle doesn't stop that clock. Start at 6 a.m. and the driving day is over at 8 p.m., however much of it was spent waiting at a dock.

The 30-minute break: after 8 hours of driving without a 30-minute interruption, the driver has to take one. Any non-driving status counts, including on duty not driving, so 30 minutes at a dock can do it.

The weekly limit: no driving after 60 on-duty hours in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days, depending on the carrier's schedule (most OTR fleets use 70/8). A 34-hour restart, 34 hours in a row off duty, resets the weekly count to zero. Until then, hours come back each day as the oldest day drops off. Drivers call this their recap.

Two extras you'll use: the sleeper berth split lets a driver split the 10 hours off into one period of at least 7 hours in the sleeper and another of at least 2, and when paired those periods don't count against the 14-hour window. Adverse driving conditions (unexpected snow, a closure the driver couldn't have known about) can extend the 11 and 14 by up to 2 hours.

Hours are recorded on an electronic logging device (ELD), wired to the truck's engine. It records driving automatically. You'll see each driver's hours on your screen, and you'll plan with them every day. The rules here are the FMCSA's (49 CFR part 395) as of 2026; carriers and states can add stricter ones.

On the desk

A driver comes on duty at 5:00 a.m. after a full 10-hour break. What is the latest she can drive that day, however the day goes?

More info

Terms in this lesson

HOSHours of service: the federal limits on driving and working.
11-hour ruleUp to 11 hours of driving after 10 hours off.
14-hour windowNo driving after the 14th hour since coming on duty. It keeps running through breaks.
30-minute breakRequired after 8 hours of driving without one.
60/70No driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 days, or 70 in 8.
34-hour restart34 hours in a row off duty resets the weekly limit.
RecapThe hours a driver gets back each day as old days drop off.
Sleeper berth splitSplitting the 10 hours off into at least 7 in the sleeper plus at least 2 off duty or in the sleeper.
ELDElectronic logging device: records duty status and driving from the engine.

The scenario answers

  1. A driver comes on duty at 5:00 a.m. after a full 10-hour break. What is the latest she can drive that day, however the day goes? 7:00 p.m.. The 14-hour window runs from when she came on duty: 5 a.m. plus 14 hours is 7 p.m. Breaks and waiting don't stop it (only a qualifying sleeper berth split does).
  2. A driver has driven 8 hours straight and has 3 hours of driving left on his 11. What has to happen before he drives again? A 30-minute break from driving. After 8 hours of driving without a 30-minute interruption, he needs a 30-minute break. Off duty, sleeper or on duty not driving all count.
  3. Which of these resets a driver's 70-hour weekly limit back to zero? 34 hours in a row off duty. A 34-hour restart resets the 60/70. Without one, hours come back only as old days roll off the 8-day window.
  4. A driver sat at a shipper from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. without driving. Does that waiting time count against her 14-hour window? Yes, the 14-hour window keeps running. The 14-hour window is clock time from the start of the duty day. That's why long waits at docks wreck plans, and why detention matters.
  5. A driver hits a sudden whiteout that wasn't in any forecast when he left. What do the rules allow? Up to 2 more hours of driving and on the 14-hour window to reach safety. The adverse driving conditions exception extends the 11 and 14 by up to 2 hours for conditions the driver didn't know about when the run started. It's for getting somewhere safe, not for making an appointment.

General training, not legal or compliance advice. Rules are the US federal ones (FMCSA) as of 2026; check the current text and your company’s policies.