Hours of Service (HOS) Rules Explained Simply [2026]

Hours of Service violations are the second most common cause of out-of-service orders at roadside inspections, right behind vehicle maintenance issues. Yet many truck drivers, especially new owner-operators, find the HOS rules confusing. They shouldn't be. This guide breaks down every HOS rule in plain language so you can stay legal, avoid fines up to $16,000, and keep your wheels turning.

The 4 Main HOS Rules Every Driver Must Know

Federal HOS regulations (49 CFR Part 395) apply to all property-carrying CMV drivers who are required to keep Records of Duty Status. If you drive a truck over 10,001 lbs GVWR in interstate commerce, these rules govern how long you can drive, when you must rest, and how your weekly hours accumulate. Here are the four core rules.

Rule 1: 11-Hour Driving Limit

You may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. This is your daily driving cap. Once you have used all 11 hours, you must stop driving until you have completed another 10-hour off-duty period. It does not matter if you took breaks during the day; the 11-hour clock only counts actual driving time.

Rule 2: 14-Hour Driving Window

You cannot drive after the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. This is a hard window that keeps running regardless of breaks, meals, fueling, loading, or any other activity. Even if you only drove 3 hours during those 14 hours, once the 14-hour window closes, you cannot drive again until you take another 10-hour break.

Rule 3: 30-Minute Break Requirement

You must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving. The break can be off-duty time, sleeper berth time, or on-duty not-driving time. After the break, your 8-hour driving clock resets, but the 11-hour and 14-hour clocks continue running. You cannot resume driving until the break is completed.

Since September 2020 rules, the 30-minute break can be satisfied by any non-driving period of 30 consecutive minutes. This includes on-duty not-driving status, such as fueling or sitting at a dock.

Rule 4: 60/70-Hour Weekly Limit

You cannot drive after accumulating 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours on duty in 8 consecutive days. Which limit applies depends on your carrier's schedule: if the carrier operates every day of the week, the 70/8 rule applies; if the carrier does not operate every day, the 60/7 rule applies.

The weekly clock is a rolling calculation. Each day, the oldest day drops off and the current day's hours are added. Your ELD calculates available hours automatically, but understanding the concept helps you plan your week.

The 34-Hour Restart Provision

The 34-hour restart lets you reset your 60/70-hour clock to zero by taking 34 consecutive hours off duty. After a valid restart, it is as though you have zero on-duty hours for the week, giving you a full 60 or 70 hours available.

There are currently no restrictions on when those 34 hours must fall (the 2013 requirements for two overnight periods between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM were suspended by Congress and have not been reinstated). Any 34 consecutive hours off duty count as a valid restart.

Visual Timeline: A Typical Day Under HOS

Here is what a compliant 14-hour day looks like for a property-carrying CMV driver. This example shows how driving time, on-duty time, breaks, and off-duty time fit together.

Sleeper Berth Provision (Split Sleeper)

The sleeper berth provision allows you to split your required 10-hour off-duty period into two segments instead of taking it all at once. This gives team drivers and long-haul operators more flexibility in managing their rest and driving time.

Valid Split Combinations

There are two valid ways to split the 10-hour off-duty period:

• 7/3 split: One period of at least 7 hours in the sleeper berth, plus one period of at least 3 hours either off duty or in the sleeper berth
• 8/2 split: One period of at least 8 hours in the sleeper berth, plus one period of at least 2 hours either off duty or in the sleeper berth

The key benefit: neither period counts against your 14-hour window when paired together. This means you can effectively pause your 14-hour clock by using the sleeper berth. Both periods must be taken within the current driving cycle before the 14-hour window closes.

Short-Haul Exception

The short-haul exception provides relief from ELD and RODS requirements for drivers who operate close to their home base. To qualify, all of the following must be true:

• You operate within a 150 air-mile radius of your work reporting location
• You return to your work reporting location and are released from duty within 14 hours
• You do not exceed the maximum duty hours (11 driving / 14 window) for 5 days in any 7-day period
• You are not required to use an ELD (but you must maintain time records with start time, end time, and total hours)

If you violate any of these conditions even once (for example, you drive outside the 150-mile radius or exceed 14 hours), you must complete a full RODS for that day and may need an ELD going forward.

Adverse Driving Conditions Exception

When you encounter unexpected adverse conditions such as snow, ice, sleet, fog, or other unusual road or traffic situations, you may extend both the 11-hour driving limit and the 14-hour driving window by up to 2 additional hours.

Requirements for using this exception:

• The conditions were not known or reasonably foreseeable before you started driving
• You document the adverse conditions in your ELD annotations
• The 60/70-hour weekly limit is NOT extended by this exception
• You must still complete the trip safely, not just drive further because you have extra time

For example, if you encounter an unexpected blizzard halfway through your route, you may drive up to 13 hours and extend your window to 16 hours to reach a safe stopping point. However, if the weather forecast predicted the blizzard before you departed, you cannot use this exception.

Personal Conveyance Rules

Personal conveyance allows a driver to move a CMV for personal use while off duty. This time is recorded as off-duty driving on the ELD and does not count against driving hours or the 14-hour window. Common uses include:

• Driving from a shipper/receiver to a nearby truck stop, restaurant, or rest area
• Moving the truck to a safe location when asked to leave a property
• Driving to a nearby fuel station, repair shop, or lodging

Personal conveyance must be truly personal. You cannot use it to advance toward a load destination, operate the vehicle with a loaded trailer to benefit the carrier, or drive long distances. FMCSA considers personal conveyance to be short, reasonable distances to personal destinations.

Common HOS Mistakes That Get You Out of Service

HOS violations at roadside inspections can lead to immediate out-of-service orders, meaning you cannot move your truck until you have rested enough to comply. Here are the most common mistakes:

1. Driving Past the 11-Hour Limit

Driving even 15 minutes beyond 11 hours is a violation recorded by your ELD. If the overrun is 3 hours or more, you face an automatic out-of-service order. This is one of the most frequently cited HOS violations.

2. Ignoring the 14-Hour Window

Many drivers forget that the 14-hour clock does not pause for breaks or off-duty time (except valid sleeper berth splits). Waiting 4 hours at a dock effectively steals 4 hours from your available driving time within the window.

3. Missing the 30-Minute Break

Your ELD will show if you drove more than 8 cumulative hours without a 30-minute non-driving break. This is an easy violation to avoid but is still commonly cited.

4. Exceeding 60/70-Hour Weekly Limits

Drivers who skip their 34-hour restart or misjudge their cumulative hours can exceed the weekly cap. Your ELD calculates available hours in real time. Pay attention to the number it shows, especially late in the week.

5. Using Wrong Duty Status

Recording off-duty or sleeper berth time while the truck is actually moving. Your ELD tracks vehicle motion through GPS and the engine ECM. Any discrepancy between your status and the vehicle's movement is flagged as potential falsification, which carries severe penalties.

6. Unassigned Driving Time

When the truck moves and no driver is logged in, the ELD records unassigned driving time. If an inspector finds unassigned miles on your ELD, it raises red flags about potential HOS violations. All unassigned driving must be assigned to a driver.

7. Failing to Annotate Edits

Every edit to ELD records (such as changing a status or correcting a location) must include an annotation explaining why the change was made. Missing annotations make an inspector suspicious that records may have been falsified.

Penalties for HOS Violations

FMCSA takes HOS violations seriously. The penalties are designed to be painful enough to deter non-compliance:

Beyond direct fines, HOS violations increase your CSA scores in the HOS Compliance BASIC category. High CSA scores lead to more frequent roadside inspections, DOT audit triggers, higher insurance premiums, and potential loss of contracts with brokers who check carrier scores.

Frequently Asked Questions