The Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are a set of rules laid down by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to prevent potential accidents caused by driver fatigue. The FMCSA is an established government organization within the Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT Hours of Service for 2020 are a list of regulations that need to be followed to remain in compliance. Most drivers have to follow the HOS regulations if they drive a commercial motor vehicle, or CMV.
A vehicle is considered a CMV if it is generally a truck/truck-tractor with a trailer, involved in inter-state commerce, and fits any of the below descriptions:
- Weighs 10,001 pounds (including load) or more
- Has gross weight rating/gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
- Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards
Log Terminology

A driver’s log consists of time spent in four basic statuses:
On-Duty
On-duty time refers to the time a driver is working but not driving. This includes loading, unloading, conducting inspection of the vehicle, paperwork, etc. Yard movements (small vehicle movements or adjustments) also counts as on-duty.
Off-Duty
Off-duty time refers to the time when a driver is not performing any task related to his or her job. During this time, a driver is relieved of all the duties and responsibilities of work and is free to pursue any activity.
Any personal use of the CMV made by the driver is also counted as off-duty. This is called Personal Conveyance.
Driving
The time during which the driver actually drives the vehicle is logged as driving time. The total time taken to drive in order to complete the load should not exceed the 11-hour driving limit in a 14-hour driving window. Note, waiting at a traffic light or stopped due to traffic still counts as driving time.
Sleeper-Berth
If the truck has a sleeper-berth that meets safety requirements, a driver may use it for the required off-duty time. A driver may use some, or all of the 10 consecutive hours as off-duty time. However, it is recommended that a driver take a consecutive 10-hour off-duty time. At the end of this 10-hour off-duty time, the 14-hour driving window and 11-hour driving limit will be reset.
What are the HOS Limits?
14-Hour Driving Window
The 14-hour driving window begins as soon as a truck driver starts any kind of work. A driver may not drive or do any work beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty.
Example:

Explanation: The driver starts the 14-hour driving window by reporting to duty at 12:00 a.m (CP #1). The driver completes the 14-hour driving window at 2:00 p.m. (10 hours driving; 3 hours on duty; 1 hour off duty).
10 Hours Consecutive Off Duty To Reset Driving Window
In order for the truck driver to restart the 14-hour Driving Window, the truck driver needs to be off duty (or sleeper berth) for a consecutive 10 hour period. So in the example above where the driver is on off duty from 2:00pm - midnight (a total of 10 hours), that means that at midnight the 14 hour driving window is reset and the driver can start it again. Note, this has to be a full consecutive 10 hour period. A driver can not go on-duty or driving even for a minute within these 10 hours for it to count.
11-Hour Driving Limit
During the 14-hour driving window, a driver is allowed to drive the truck for a maximum period of 11 hours. Once this limit is reached, a driver must be off-duty for 10 consecutive hours before the 14 hour driving window is reset.
Example:

Explanation: After 10 consecutive hours off-duty, driver reports to duty at 10:00 a.m. (CP#1) starting the 14-hour driving window. The driver was on-duty for 1 hour; drove for 5 hours; went off-duty for 1 hour; drove again for 6 hours, and then was on-duty for 1 hour. The driver drove the maximum 11 hours within the 14-hour driving window and is therefore in compliance.
30 minute Rest Break
A driver is required to take a 30-minute rest break after more than 8 consecutive hours have passed since the last off-duty event. For example, a driver starts driving after completing an hour on-duty is required to take the 30-minute rest break after 7 hours of driving. After this break, the driver can resume driving for up to 4 hours of time in compliance with the 11-hour driving limit. This 30-minute break is considered as off-duty and could be something like meal breaks. However, this provision is not enforced for short-haul drivers.
60/7 and 70/8 Duty Limit
The total time spent driving and on-duty must not exceed a total of 70 hours over a period of 8 days. This limit is reset after an off-duty period of 34 consecutive hour is completed.
The rule is also applicable with a slight variation. The variation limits the total time spent driving and on-duty to 60 hours over a period of 7 days. It is up to the fleet’s discretion to choose between these two options.
Duty Reset
The HOS regulations allow a driver to reset a 60-hour/70-hour clock after 34 or more consecutive hours off-duty. This period can be taken as off-duty, in sleeper berth, or a combination of both.
A valid use of this period resets the driver’s weekly hours to 0.
Example:

Explanation: A driver may reset 60/70-hour clock after completing 34 consecutive hour off-duty. In the example above, the driver spends 34 hours off-duty and reports to duty at 10:00 a.m. on day 2 (CP#1). This starts the drivers new 60/7 or 70/8 duty limit.
As a full recap of all the rules: the 14 hour driving window starts the moment a driver starts the day by going on-duty or driving. Within these 14 hours a driver is only allowed to drive up to 11 hours total. Also, after 8 hours a driver needs a consecutive 30 minute break by being off-duty or in sleeper. The 14 hour driving window gets reset only after a driver is off-duty or in sleeper berth for a consecutive 10 hour period. After that, a driver has to ensure that within a 7/8 days period the 60/70 hour clock is followed, which only gets reset after a consecutive 34 hour off-duty or sleeper period.
Most major ELDs take care of these rules by providing timers and countdowns so that this doesn't need to be thorougly tracked by the driver. Click the link to learn more about the best ELDs.
Exceptions
In the following events/conditions, drivers have modified HOS regulations:
Adverse Driving Conditions
In case of any unexpected adverse driving conditions, a driver is allowed an additional 2 hours of driving time to complete the trip. So this would increase the driving limit from 11 hours to 13 hours. However, this provision is only valid for a disruption faced that a driver was not aware of before starting the trip. This includes snow, fog, traffic-shut down, etc. The additional hours do not extend the 14-hour driving window. Also, the driver must also comply with the 30-minute break provision.
Non-CDL Short-Haul Exception
This exception is valid for drivers that drive short distances and do not require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
The non-CDL short-haul exception extends the 14-hour driving window to 16-hours on 2 days in a 7 consecutive day period, or after a 34-hour reset period. This exception also exempts the driver from keeping a logbook or from taking the 30-minute rest break. However, you can only use this exception if:
- The truck is a commercial motor vehicle but does not require a CDL.
- Driver is within a 150 air-miles radius of the reporting location.
- Driver returns to the starting/reporting location each day.
If all the above criteria are met, then the driver must ensure the following:
- Follow the 11 hour driving limit.
- Not drive past the 14th hour on 5 consecutive days in a period of 7 consecutive days.
- Not drive past the 16th hour on 2 days in any period of 7 consecutive days.
16-Hour Short-Haul Exception
This exception allows a driver to extend the 14-hour driving window to 16 hours once every 7 consecutive days. However, to make a valid use of this exception, a driver has to ensure the following:
- Reach the starting/reporting location each day for 5 consecutive days in a 7-day period.
- On the 16 hour day, the driver must be released from duty within 16 hours of reporting back.
- Take 10 hours off-duty between each work-day.
- Only take this exception once every 7 consecutive days (unless a 34-hour duty reset period has been taken).
This exception is not valid if a driver qualifies for the non-CDL short-haul exception.
Example:

Explanation: After 10 consecutive hours off-duty, driver reports to duty at 10:00 a.m. (CP#1), starting the 16-hour driving window. The driver drives for a total of 10 hours, not exceeding the 11-hour driving window, thus making this a valid use of the 16-hour driving window.
The FMSCA has revised the current HOS rules to provide flexibility to drivers that will be implemented on September of this year. To learn more about how these rules may be modified please check FMCSA Final Hours of Service Rules Increases Flexibility.
Also we have a full article discussing Personal Conveyance and Yard Moves.
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