Truck driver hours of service in plain English, and why the limits shape your delivery dates

Hours of service, usually shortened to HOS, are the federal rules that limit how long commercial truck drivers can drive and work before they must rest. They are issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and live in 49 CFR Part 395. FMCSA says most drivers of commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce must comply, including drivers of vehicles that weigh or are rated at 10,001 pounds or more.

This guide covers the rules for property-carrying drivers, the ones who move freight. It is a plain-English summary for shippers, not legal or compliance advice. The regulation text is what counts.

The daily limits

A driver's day is built around three numbers: 10, 14 and 11.

• 10 hours off first. A driver may not start driving without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• The 14-hour window. Once the driver comes on duty, a 14-hour clock starts. The driver may not drive after the 14th consecutive hour. FMCSA's summary notes that off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period, so a lunch stop does not pause the clock.
• 11 hours of driving. Within that 14-hour window, the driver may drive a total of 11 hours.
• The 30-minute break. A driver may not drive if 8 hours of driving have passed without a break of at least 30 consecutive minutes. The break can be off duty, in the sleeper berth, or on duty but not driving, such as time spent at a loading dock.

Weekly limits and the 34-hour restart

On top of the daily limits, there is a rolling cap on total on-duty time. A driver may not drive after being on duty 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days if the carrier does not operate every day of the week, or 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days if it does.

A driver can reset that count with a "34-hour restart": an off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours starts a new 7- or 8-day period.

Sleeper berth splits

Drivers with a sleeper berth can split the required 10 hours off into two periods. One must be at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. The other must be at least 2 consecutive hours, in or out of the berth. Together they must total at least 10 hours. When the two periods are paired this way, neither one counts against the 14-hour window, which gives drivers some flexibility around traffic and appointments.

Exceptions you may hear about

Adverse driving conditions. If a driver runs into snow, ice, sleet, fog, other bad weather, or unusual road or traffic conditions that were not known before the trip or shift started, FMCSA allows the 11-hour driving limit and the 14-hour window to be extended by up to 2 hours to finish the run or reach a safe place.

Short-haul exception. A driver who stays within a 150 air-mile radius of the normal work reporting location (about 172.6 statute miles), returns there and is released within 14 consecutive hours, and has at least 10 consecutive hours off between shifts does not have to keep a formal record of duty status. The employer must still keep time records. These drivers are also excused from the 30-minute break. The other limits still apply.

Part 395 lists other, narrower exceptions, for example for certain agricultural and construction operations.

ELDs: how hours are recorded

An electronic logging device, or ELD, is equipment that automatically records a driver's driving time. Carriers that must keep records of duty status have been required to use ELDs since December 18, 2017. Paper logs are still allowed in limited cases, such as drivers who need a record on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period, or vehicles manufactured before model year 2000. Carriers must use a device on FMCSA's registered ELD list, and tampering with an ELD is prohibited.

For shippers, the practical point is simple: driving time is recorded automatically, so lost hours cannot be made up on paper.

Why hours of service matter to shippers

Under the federal definition, on-duty time includes time at a shipper's facility waiting to be dispatched, time loading or unloading or attending a vehicle being loaded, and time giving or receiving receipts for the freight. In other words, the 14-hour clock keeps running while a truck sits at your dock.

Hypothetical example: a driver comes on duty at 6:00 a.m. after 10 hours off, drives two hours, and reaches your dock at 8:00 a.m. Waiting and loading take until noon. The driver's window closes at 8:00 p.m., so only 8 hours of driving remain that day, even though 9 of the 11 driving hours are unused. A long wait at the receiver can push delivery to the next day in the same way.

A few habits help:

• Have freight and paperwork ready at the appointment time.
• Share accurate dock hours and appointment rules when you book.
• Plan transit times that allow for legal rest, especially on long hauls.
• Never pressure a driver to keep going. Under 49 CFR 390.6, shippers and receivers may not coerce a driver to operate in violation of the safety rules, including hours of service.

Pilot programs: what is and is not changing

The core limits in section 395.3 were last revised in 2020. FMCSA is now preparing two pilot programs. The Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot would let participating drivers split their 10 hours off with a longer period as short as 5 hours, allowing "5/5" or "6/4" splits. The Split Duty Period pilot would let participating drivers pause the 14-hour window for up to 3 hours a day, using off-duty or sleeper berth time, or on-duty time at a pickup or delivery location.

In spring and summer 2026, FMCSA sought 18 drivers for limited six-week tests of the study designs. In October 2026 it published Federal Register notices seeking comment on the data collection for the studies, each expected to involve about 256 drivers. Any exemptions apply only to drivers enrolled in a pilot. For everyone else, the rules above still apply.