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Compliance · Updated Oct 2026

Hours of service cheat sheet (property carriers)

These are the federal hours-of-service limits for drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, from 49 CFR 395. Passenger carriers follow different limits.

The 14-hour window on a 24-hour clockExample. A shift that starts at hour 0: 8 hours of driving, a 30-minute break, 3 more hours of driving for 11 in total, all inside the 14-hour window, followed by 10 hours off.EXAMPLE06121814HR WINDOW14-hour window, from coming on duty11 hours driving (8 + 3 in this example)30-minute break after 8 hours of driving10 hours off before the next shift
The 14-hour clock keeps running while you're stopped. A break won't buy the time back. Source: 49 CFR 395.3.

The core limits

  • 10 hours off before you start a new shift.
  • 11 hours driving after those 10 consecutive hours off.
  • 14-hour window. No driving after the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty. Off-duty time does not extend it.
  • 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving without at least a 30-minute interruption. Off-duty, sleeper-berth or on-duty not-driving time all count.
  • 60/70 hours. No driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days, depending on your carrier’s schedule.
  • 34-hour restart. 34 or more consecutive hours off duty resets the 7- or 8-day clock.

Sleeper-berth split

  • You can meet the 10-hour off-duty requirement with at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth plus a separate period of at least 2 consecutive hours off duty or in the berth.
  • The two periods must add up to at least 10 hours.
  • Neither qualifying period counts against the 14-hour window.
Two sleeper-berth splits that meet the 10-hour requirementExample. 7 hours in the sleeper berth plus 3 hours off, and 8 hours in the berth plus 2 hours off; each pair adds up to 10 hours.EXAMPLE7 / 3 split7 hrs sleeper berth3 hrs off or berth8 / 2 split8 hrs sleeper berth2 hrs off012345678910HRS10 hrs off required
The two pieces have to add up to 10 hours, and neither one stops your 14. Source: 49 CFR 395.3.

Exceptions worth knowing

  • Adverse driving conditions. Snow, ice, fog or unusual road and traffic conditions that weren’t known at dispatch can extend the 11-hour and 14-hour limits by up to 2 hours.
  • Short-haul (150 air-miles). Drivers who stay within 150 air-miles of their normal work reporting location and are released within 14 hours don’t need records of duty status or an ELD. The carrier keeps time records instead.

Sources

  1. FMCSA: Summary of Hours of Service Regulations  (opens in a new tab)
  2. 49 CFR 395.3: Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles  (opens in a new tab)
  3. 49 CFR 395.1: Scope of rules (exceptions)  (opens in a new tab)