Hours-of-Service Rules: A Plain-Language Overview

Federal hours-of-service rules set limits on when many interstate commercial drivers may drive and remain on duty. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration maintains the controlling rules and explanatory material; this guide is a starting point for reading those official sources, not a substitute for checking the rule that applies to a particular operation.

The main property-carrier limits

FMCSA’s summary says a property-carrying driver may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. The driving must fit within a 14-consecutive-hour window after coming on duty. Off-duty time generally does not extend that 14-hour window.

The agency also describes a 30-minute break requirement after eight cumulative hours of driving without at least a 30-minute interruption. A qualifying interruption can include on-duty, not-driving time; off-duty time; sleeper-berth time; or a qualifying combination.

Weekly limits are commonly described as 60 hours in seven days or 70 hours in eight days. FMCSA’s materials explain that a driver can restart the seven- or eight-day period after at least 34 consecutive hours off duty.

Sleeper berth and exceptions

Sleeper-berth provisions can allow qualifying periods to be split when the rule’s conditions are met. The two periods must add to at least 10 hours, one period must be at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, and the other must be at least two hours. The official rule and FMCSA guidance contain the details.

Short-haul, adverse-driving-condition, and other exceptions may change which provisions apply. Applicability depends on the operation, vehicle, route, and other facts. The safest source for current requirements is FMCSA’s hours-of-service page and the current text of 49 CFR Part 395.

Source-first compliance research

Rules and agency guidance can change. Record the date you checked a source, use the current official text, and distinguish a general summary from the exact provision governing an operation. Questions about a specific compliance situation can be directed to a qualified safety professional or the appropriate agency.