Hours of Service Rules for Truck Drivers: 11, 14 and 60/70 Explained

Federal hours of service rules let a property-carrying truck driver drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour on-duty window, and only after 10 consecutive hours off duty. A 30-minute break is required after 8 hours of driving, and on-duty time is capped at 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days.

The rules sit in 49 CFR Part 395. Bus drivers follow a different set (10 hours of driving after 8 hours off); the figures here cover trucks hauling property, as of November 2026.

What are the hours of service limits for truck drivers?

A driver works under several limits at once, and the first one reached stops the truck.

The full text is in the eCFR, 49 CFR 395.3. For the device side, see our explainer on ELD rules and exemptions.

How does the 14-hour window work?

The 14-hour window starts when you come on duty after 10 hours off and keeps running through meals, fuel stops and dock waits, even if you log them off duty. Once the 14th hour passes, you may not drive again until you take another 10 consecutive hours off duty.

You can keep working after hour 14, such as doing paperwork or loading, but that time is on duty and counts toward the 60 or 70-hour limit. The only ways to exclude time from the window are a qualifying sleeper berth period (explained below) or the 16-hour short-haul exception.

When do truck drivers need a 30-minute break?

A driver needs a 30-minute break once 8 hours of driving have built up without a 30-minute interruption. Only driving time counts toward the 8 hours.

The break can be off duty, in the sleeper berth or on duty not driving, or a mix of those, as long as the 30 minutes are consecutive. A 30-minute fuel stop or a 30-minute wait at a shipper logged as on duty not driving satisfies it. Drivers who qualify for either short-haul exception do not need the break at all.

How do the 60/70-hour limit and the 34-hour restart work?

The weekly limit caps total on-duty time, driving plus all other work, over a rolling period. Carriers that do not run every day of the week use 60 hours in 7 days. Carriers that operate every day use 70 hours in 8 days. Each day, the oldest day drops off and the hours you worked that day come back.

A 34-hour restart wipes the slate clean. Any off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours starts a new 7 or 8 day period. The current rule has no requirement that the restart include overnight hours, and there is no limit on how often you use it.

How does the sleeper berth split work?

A driver in a truck with a sleeper berth can split the required 10 hours off into two periods: one of at least 7 consecutive hours in the berth and another of at least 2 hours, totaling at least 10. The common pairs are 7/3 and 8/2. The shorter period can be off duty or in the berth.

When the two periods pair up, neither counts against the 14-hour window, and your available time is recalculated from the end of the first period. The driving before and after each rest period must add up to no more than 11 hours.

Example of a 7/3 split:

1. Come on duty at 6:00 a.m. and drive 6 hours, until noon.
2. Take 3 hours off duty, noon to 3:00 p.m.
3. Drive 5 more hours, until 8:00 p.m. That is 11 hours of driving.
4. Spend 7 hours in the sleeper berth, 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
5. At 3:00 a.m., count from the end of the 3-hour period. You drove 5 hours since then, so 6 hours of driving remain, and the 7 berth hours do not count against the window.

Two pilot programs could widen these options for a small group of enrolled drivers. The Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot would test 6/4 and 5/5 splits, and the Split Duty Period pilot would let drivers pause the 14-hour window for 30 minutes to 3 hours. FMCSA proposed both in September 2025, each for about 256 drivers, and in October 2026 it was still seeking federal approval to collect data for the pause pilot. Drivers outside the pilots can use only the 7/3 and 8/2 splits.

Which exceptions give truck drivers more time?

Four exceptions in 49 CFR 395.1 change the limits for specific situations.

• Adverse driving conditions. Snow, ice, fog or unusual traffic that the driver or dispatcher could not have known about before the duty day or dispatch allows up to 2 extra hours of driving and 2 extra hours on the 14-hour window to finish the run or reach a safe place.
• 150 air-mile short haul. Drivers who stay within 150 air miles (172.6 statute miles) of their normal work reporting location, are released within 14 hours, and get 10 hours off between shifts do not need logs or the 30-minute break. The carrier keeps time records for 6 months.
• 16-hour short haul. A driver who returned to the same work reporting location and was released there for the previous five duty tours may stretch the window from 14 to 16 hours once in any 7 consecutive days, or again after a 34-hour restart. Driving stays capped at 11 hours.
• Holiday retail deliveries. From December 10 to December 25, drivers making local deliveries from retail stores to consumers within 100 air miles are exempt from the daily and weekly limits.

Agricultural haulers have separate exemptions within 150 air miles of the source, also in 395.1. The eCFR text of 49 CFR 395.1 lists each condition.

What does a legal driving day look like?

Here is a straightforward day with no split:

1. 6:00 a.m.: On duty after 10 hours off. Pre-trip inspection until 6:30.
2. 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Drive 8 hours. The break is now due before any more driving.
3. 2:30 to 3:00 p.m.: Fuel and paperwork, logged on duty not driving. This counts as the 30-minute break.
4. 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.: Drive 3 more hours, reaching the 11-hour limit.
5. 6:00 to 6:15 p.m.: Post-trip, on duty. The 14-hour window would have closed at 8:00 p.m.
6. 6:15 p.m. to 4:15 a.m.: 10 hours off duty. The next day can start.

That day used 12 hours and 15 minutes toward the weekly limit; five such days total just over 61 hours, past the 60-hour cap. Where to spend those 10 hours is its own problem; our guide to truck parking rules covers it.

Bottom line

Drivers who run out of hours at the curb are usually caught by the 14-hour window, not the 11-hour limit, because waiting time keeps that clock running. The sleeper split is the only routine tool that stops it, so a 3-hour detention can be logged as the short half of a 7/3 pair if you plan the rest of the day around it. Hours violations found at roadside count in the carrier’s HOS Compliance record in CSA scores.

FAQ

Does a fuel stop count as the 30-minute break?

Yes, if it lasts at least 30 consecutive minutes. Since 2020 the break can be on duty not driving, so fueling, a scale stop or waiting at a dock all qualify.

Can I drive after 14 hours if I still have driving hours left?

No. Unused driving hours do not extend the 14-hour window. You need 10 consecutive hours off, or a qualifying sleeper berth pairing, before driving again.

Does the 34-hour restart need two nights off?

No. The overnight requirement was dropped years ago. Any 34 or more consecutive hours off duty restarts the 60 or 70-hour period.

What happens if an inspector finds an hours violation?

A driver over the limit is placed out of service at roadside until enough off-duty time has been taken. The violation is recorded on the inspection report and in the carrier’s safety data.