Hours of Service (HOS)

Purpose: rules, practical examples, and common traps to avoid.

Core Limits

Property-carrying: 11-hour driving limit inside a 14-hour on-duty window, then 10 hours off-duty.
30-minute break: After 8 cumulative driving hours, take 30 minutes off-duty or on-duty not driving.
60/70-hour limit: Max on-duty is 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days (carrier policy decides).
34-hour restart (property-carrying): 34 consecutive hours off resets the 60/70-hour calculation.
Passenger-carrying: 10-hour driving limit within a 15-hour on-duty window; different break rules apply.

Split Sleeper Options

Drivers may split the 10-hour off-duty period as either 8/2 or 7/3 (in any order). The two periods must total 10 hours and neither counts against the 14-hour window when used properly.

Example A (8/2)

Start duty 06:00 → Drive/on-duty → 8 hours sleeper 13:00–21:00 → More driving → 2 hours off-duty before midnight. The time between the two qualifying periods does not expand the original 14-hour window; it is effectively paused by the first qualifying segment.

Example B (7/3)

Start duty 05:00 → 7 hours sleeper 10:00–17:00 → Work/drive → 3 hours off-duty later that shift. The pair creates a valid split and allows legal driving provided each segment meets the minimums and the pair totals 10 hours.

Common Trap

Taking a non-qualifying 6-hour sleeper segment does not start a valid split. Ensure segments are 8/2 or 7/3 and log them correctly.

Exceptions

Short-haul exception: CDL drivers operating within 150 air-miles and released within 14 hours may use time records instead of RODS (meets conditions in 49 CFR 395.1(e)).
Adverse driving conditions: If unexpected weather or incidents slow travel, property-carrying drivers may extend driving time by up to 2 hours and extend the 14-hour window accordingly; passenger-carrying may extend driving up to 2 hours but the 15-hour window does not extend.

ELD / RODS Basics

Use an ELD when RODS are required unless an exception applies.
Not required when: operating under the short-haul exception; using paper RODS for no more than 8 days in any 30-day period; drive-away–tow-away operations; or when using a vehicle with a model year older than 2000.
Keep supporting documents (fuel, tolls, BOLs) to match RODS.

Top Violations & How to Avoid

Falsification/Incorrect logs: Reconcile ELD events with bills of lading and fuel receipts daily.
No 30-minute break: Set a reminder once driving time nears 8 hours.
Driving after 11/14 (10/15 passenger): Plan routes with buffers; use sleeper splits correctly.
Missing certification/notations: Certify each day and annotate ELD edits.
Improper personal conveyance: Off-route yard moves or repositioning freight is not PC.

Mini Examples

8-hour break timing: If you start driving at 07:00 and accumulate 8 hours of driving by 14:45, you must take a 30-minute break before driving again.

Weekly limit snapshot: If at 58 hours on-duty in a 7-day schedule, you only have 2 on-duty hours left today without a restart.

Helpful Links

We intentionally do not cover CSA methodology or the DataQs process here.