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49 CFR Part 395

Hours of Service (HOS)

Property-carrying CMV drivers may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour on-duty window, with a 30-minute break required after 8 cumulative driving hours. Weekly on-duty time is capped at 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, resettable with 34 consecutive hours off duty.

Key Points

  • 11-Hour Driving Limit — up to 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty
  • 14-Hour Window — all driving must occur within 14 consecutive hours of coming on duty
  • 30-Minute Break — required after 8 cumulative hours of driving
  • 60/70-Hour Limit — 60 hours on duty in 7 days (carriers not operating every day) or 70 hours in 8 days (carriers operating every day)
  • 34-Hour Restart — 34+ consecutive hours off duty resets the weekly on-duty clock to zero
  • Sleeper Berth Split — 7/3 or 8/2 hour splits between sleeper berth and off-duty time, neither period counting against the 14-hour window

The core limits

Under 49 CFR 395.3, a property-carrying driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty, and that driving must happen within a 14-hour window that starts the moment the driver comes on duty — off-duty time during the day doesn't extend the 14-hour window. A 30-minute break is required after 8 cumulative hours of driving time.

Weekly limits and the restart

Total on-duty time is capped at 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days for carriers that don't operate every day of the week, or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days for carriers that do. Taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty resets this weekly clock to zero — there's no longer a time-window restriction on when the restart can be used.

Sleeper berth split-duty

A driver with a compliant sleeper berth can split the required 10 hours off duty into two periods instead of taking them all at once: at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth plus at least 3 consecutive hours off duty or in the sleeper berth, or at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth plus at least 2 consecutive hours off duty or in the sleeper berth. Neither period by itself counts against the 14-hour driving window.

Short-haul and adverse driving conditions exceptions

Drivers who stay within 150 air-miles of their normal work reporting location and return there within 14 hours qualify for the short-haul exception under 395.1(e) — no 30-minute break requirement and no ELD required (paper records allowed), though the 14-hour window and 60/70-hour limits still apply. Separately, if conditions that couldn't have been known before dispatch (snow, ice, an unexpected closure) slow a driver down, the adverse driving conditions exception allows up to 2 extra hours of driving — usable once per on-duty period, and it doesn't extend the weekly limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between the 60-hour and 70-hour rule?+

They're the same kind of limit, just different lengths depending on your operation: 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days applies if your carrier doesn't run every day of the week, and 70 hours in 8 consecutive days applies if it does. Most over-the-road operations use the 70-hour/8-day rule.

Does the 34-hour restart still have a 'once per week' limit?+

No — that restriction (from an earlier rule version) was removed. You can use the 34-hour restart as often as you want; there's no longer a minimum time between restarts.

Can I split my 10 hours off duty into two periods?+

Yes, if you have a compliant sleeper berth. You can split it as 7 hours in the sleeper plus 3 hours off duty (or in the sleeper), or 8 hours in the sleeper plus 2 hours off duty — either way, neither period alone counts against your 14-hour window.

This is a plain-language summary for reference, not legal advice. Always verify current requirements against the official regulation text or consult a compliance professional for your specific operation.