The Complete Guide to Hours of Service Rules for Truckers: Everything You Need to Stay Legal

What's in this guide:

• Property-carrying driver rules — 11/14/70 explained in plain language
• Passenger-carrying driver rules and how they differ
• The 30-minute rest break — who needs it and what counts
• Sleeper berth splits — the 8/2 rule and the newer 7/3 option
• The 34-hour restart — how it works and what it does not reset
• The short-haul exemption — 100-mile and 150-mile rules
• HOS exemptions for specific industries
• ELD requirements and how they connect to HOS compliance

What the Regulation Actually Requires

Hours of service rules are governed by 49 CFR Part 395. The rules apply to drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) engaged in interstate commerce. Specifically, Part 395 applies if you meet any of these four criteria:

• Your vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of more than 10,000 pounds
• Your vehicle is designed to transport 9 or more passengers including the driver for compensation
• Your vehicle is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver not for compensation
• Your vehicle transports hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding

Intrastate carriers are subject to state HOS rules, which may mirror federal rules or differ. If you cross state lines at all, federal rules apply.

Property-Carrying Driver Rules: 11/14/70

The 11-Hour Driving Limit

Under § 395.3(a)(1), a property-carrying driver may not drive more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty.

What this means in practice:

• You get 11 hours of driving time per duty period — not 11 hours from when you started your day
• The 11-hour clock starts from your first moment of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty
• Once you hit 11 hours of driving, you cannot drive again until you have taken 10 consecutive hours off
• Time spent doing non-driving on-duty tasks (loading, fueling, paperwork) does not count against your 11-hour driving limit — but it does count against your 14-hour window

The 14-Hour Window

Under § 395.3(a)(2), a property-carrying driver may not drive after the 14th hour following the start of duty time after 10 consecutive hours off duty.

What this means in practice:

• Your 14-hour window begins the moment you go on duty — even if you don't drive immediately
• The window does not stop for breaks, fuel stops, or meals unless you use a sleeper berth split
• Once your 14-hour window expires, you cannot drive — even if you have driving time remaining under the 11-hour rule
• You cannot extend your 14-hour window by taking short off-duty breaks
• The 14-hour clock only resets after 10 consecutive hours off duty

The 11/14 interaction: You cannot drive after either the 11-hour driving limit or the 14-hour window — whichever comes first. Most drivers with a full day hit the 14-hour window before they exhaust their 11 driving hours.

The 60/70-Hour Limit

Under § 395.3(b), a property-carrying driver may not drive after accumulating 60 on-duty hours in any 7 consecutive days (for carriers that do not operate every day of the week) or 70 on-duty hours in any 8 consecutive days (for carriers that operate every day).

What counts as "on duty": All time from when you report for work to when you are relieved — including loading, unloading, fueling, inspection time, and any other work for the carrier. Sleeper berth time in the berth does not count as on-duty time.

How to reset: Use the 34-hour restart (covered below) or simply allow your 60/70-hour rolling total to decrease naturally as days at the beginning of your rolling window drop off.

Passenger-Carrying Driver Rules

Passenger-carrying drivers (buses, charter coaches) operate under § 395.5 with different limits:

• 10-hour driving limit (vs. 11 hours for property-carrying)
• 15-hour on-duty window (vs. 14 hours for property-carrying)
• 60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day limit (same structure as property-carrying)
• 8 consecutive hours off duty required before driving (vs. 10 hours for property-carrying)

The 30-Minute Rest Break Requirement

Under § 395.3(a)(3)(ii), a property-carrying driver may not drive for more than 8 cumulative hours without taking at least a 30-minute break.

What counts as a qualifying break:

• 30 consecutive minutes of off-duty time
• 30 consecutive minutes of sleeper berth time
• Any combination of off-duty and sleeper berth time totaling 30 consecutive minutes

Practical note: The 8-hour driving clock resets after your 30-minute break. If you drive 5 hours, take a 30-minute break, and then drive another 4 hours, you have not violated the break requirement — you've only driven 4 hours since your last break.

ELD implication: Your ELD tracks break time automatically. If you are in on-duty not-driving status during your break, it does not count as a qualifying break — you must be in off-duty or sleeper berth status.

Sleeper Berth Provisions

The 8/2 Split

Drivers with a sleeper berth can split their 10 required off-duty hours into two periods: one period of at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, and one period of at least 2 consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth, off duty, or a combination. Neither period alone counts as the required off-duty time — together they reset your driving clock.

The catch: Neither split period counts as off-duty time for purposes of the 14-hour window calculation. The 14-hour window is calculated differently when using a sleeper berth split — effectively pausing while you are in the berth.

The 7/3 Split

Since the 2020 HOS rule changes, drivers may also split their rest as at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth paired with at least 3 consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth or off duty. The same pausing rules apply to the 14-hour window.

What "pausing the 14-hour window" means

When you use a qualifying sleeper berth period, the time you spend in the berth does not count against your 14-hour window. Your window effectively pauses during the berth period and resumes when you go back on duty. This allows team drivers and long-haul solo operators to extend the usable portion of their 14-hour window.

The 34-Hour Restart

Under § 395.3(c), a driver may restart a 7- or 8-consecutive-day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty. After a compliant 34-hour restart, your 60/70-hour cumulative on-duty total resets to zero.

How it works: Once you have accumulated 34 consecutive hours of off-duty or sleeper berth time, your 7/8-day rolling clock resets. You can then begin accumulating your 60 or 70 hours fresh.

No restriction on use: As of the 2020 HOS rule revisions, there is no longer a restriction on how often you can use the 34-hour restart, and the previous requirement for two 1:00–5:00 a.m. periods was removed.

What the restart does not reset: The 34-hour restart resets your 60/70-hour cumulative total. It does not reset your 11-hour driving clock or your 14-hour window — those are governed by your most recent 10-hour off-duty period.

The Short-Haul Exemption

Under § 395.1(e), drivers who qualify for the short-haul exemption are not required to maintain HOS records (ELD or paper logs). However, the driving limits still apply.

To qualify under the 100 air-mile exemption, all of the following must be true:

• You operate within a 100 air-mile radius of your normal work reporting location
• You return to your normal work reporting location and are released from work within 14 consecutive hours
• You have at least 10 consecutive hours off duty separating each duty period
• You do not drive more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty

The 150 air-mile rule applies to non-CDL drivers and allows operation within 150 air miles with a 14-hour on-duty window and a 10-hour off-duty requirement. The same return-to-home-terminal requirement applies.

HOS still applies: The short-haul exemption eliminates the recordkeeping requirement — not the driving limits. If you drive more than 11 hours or exceed your 14-hour window, you are in violation even if you're short-haul exempt.

HOS Exemptions for Specific Industries