Revised Driver’s Hours-of-Service (HOS) Regulations
In April 2003, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued the first significant revision to the HOS regulations in more than 60 years. These regulations only apply to property carriers and drivers. The current rules were enforced starting October 1, 2005. Listed below is a brief summary of the hours-of-service regulations:
- A CMV driver may drive 11 hours after 10 hours off duty.
- A CMV driver may not drive beyond 14 hours after coming on duty, following 10 hours off duty.
- A CMV driver may not drive after 70 hours on duty in eight consecutive days as applied to Enspiren Transport, Inc. A driver may restart eight consecutive days after taking 34 consecutive hours off duty.
How Do I Get Full Hours Back?
The only way to restart your 11 and 14-hour clocks is to take at least 10 consecutive hours off. This time may be on:
- Line 1 (Off Duty)
- Line 2 (Sleeper)
- Or Any Combination of Line 1 & Line 2
Example:
- Three Hours Line 1
- Five Hours Line 2
- Two Hours Line 1
= 10 Consecutive Hours (Now Have 14 Available on the 14-Hour Rule & 11 Hours Available on the 11-Hour Rule)
How Do I Split Break Under the New Rules?
You will need two things to happen: at least eight hours in the sleeper and a separate period of at least two consecutive hours that can now be:
- Line 1 (Off Duty)
- Line 2 (Sleeper)
- Or Any Combination of Line 1 & Line 2
In other words, the longer portion must be at least eight hours in the sleeper and the shorter portion must be at least two hours that can be off duty, sleeper, or both.
What Counts Towards My 14-Hour Rule?
All time will count towards the 14-hour rule except an eight-hour sleeper break. In other words, an eight-hour sleeper will not count towards your 14-hour rule. Simply stated, drivers may drive up to 11 hours rather than 10 hours, but they are limited to driving 14 hours in a single duty period. The 14-hour duty period cannot be extended with off-duty time for meal or fuel stops, etc. Only the use of an eight-hour or greater sleeper berth break can stop the 14-hour clock. Every duty period must start with at least 10 hours off duty instead of eight. The 70 hours on duty in eight consecutive days remain the same, but drivers can “restart” the eight-day period by taking a period of at least 34 consecutive hours off duty.
Sleeper Berth Exception
Drivers can split on-duty time by utilizing split breaks. To fulfill the requirements of a split break, driver must have the following:
- One Period in the Sleeper Berth Equal to at Least Eight Hours
- A Separate Period of a Minimum of Two Hours, Which Can Be Off-Duty, Sleeper Berth, or a Combination of the Two
Example:
Break #1: Two Hours (Off Duty)
Drive #1: Four hours
Break #2: Eight Hours (Sleeper)
Drive #2: The driver would find two periods that satisfy the split break requirements. In this example, this would be the two off-duty hours and the eight sleeper hours. The driver would begin calculating at the end of the first rest period off of the 14. The driver would then take the four hours of driving between the breaks:
- 11-Hour Rule: 11-4=7 Hours Available on the 11-Hour Rule
- 14-Hour Rule: 14-4=10 Hours Available on the 14-Hour Rule
The lapsed time in the period immediately before and after each period, when added together, does not include any driving after the 14th hour. Unloading, fueling, etc. will still be allowed after the 14th hour (the driver must have an uninterrupted 10-hour break before driving again). The only way that a driver can stop the 14-hour clock is with an eight-hour sleeper berth break.
The 34-Hour Restart
When a driver has an off-duty period of 34 consecutive hours, the driver can restart the calculation of the 60/70-hour on-duty period. The 34 hours were derived from the initial 24 hours with an additional 10 hours prior to the driver’s return to duty. The 34 hours must be consecutive and cannot broken by on-duty or driving activities.
The 14-Hour Rule
A driver may not drive for more than 14 hours after coming on duty following 10 hours of being off duty. This means, once the driver begins an on-duty period of any kind, the 14-hour clock begins.
Example:
If a driver begins clocking an on-duty status at 06:00, then the driver must stop driving at 20:00 (14 hours afterward). Effective October 1st, the only way to stop the clock is with a minimum sleeper berth break of eight hours. This means that all time spent waiting for trailers, paperwork, parking, etc., will limit the drivers’ available hours.
Example:
If a driver starts an on-duty status at 06:00, the 14-hour clock is up at 20:00. During the 14-hour period, the driver also must take an eight-hour sleeper berth break. This means the driver has until 04:00 the following morning to get the required driving in. Once the 14 hours have been reached, the driver can no longer drive (but can continue to work). The driver must also take a 10-hour consecutive break prior to resuming driving if working beyond the 14th hour.
Contact us for more information about our compliance guidelines for our fleet. We provide transportation service to clients nationwide.
