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The hours of service rules for truck drivers weren’t designed to be easily understood. But let’s face it, the fact that you are looking up these rules means your drivers are at risk of violations, and your current ELD solution isn’t cutting it. It is nearly impossible to find single resource that we thought would be easily understood and comprehensive.
That’s why we decided to write this article, to simplify the rules without leaving anything out for you. This resource is broken down into 5 parts (click to jump to section): United States DOT Hours of Service Rules*Click on rule to skip to section Before we get started: Defining a Full Off-Duty BreakIn the US, in order to reset their shift and on-duty/driving hours (excluding HOS cycles), drivers need to take 10 consecutive hours off-duty. 14 Hour Rule - Shift Window CountdownAs soon as a driver goes on-duty after a consecutive 10 hour break, the 14-hour rule kicks in. It doesn’t matter if they are driving, go off-duty for an hour or two, or are on duty not driving – once the 14 hours is up, they can no longer drive until they go off duty for another 10+ hours. Think of it as a timer that is set as soon as the driver goes on duty. It will continue to count down in the background until: A) It hits 0 and the driver must not continue driving B) The driver takes a full 10+ hours off duty before the time is up This does not mean that they can drive for the full 14 hours. Which brings us to the next rule: the 11 hour rule. 11 Hour Rule - DrivingWithin the 14 hour period, a driver can drive up to a maximum of 11 hours. The driving sessions can be broken up however they like., with breaks in between or on-duty not driving. Start On Duty: 3 hrs driving, 1 hrs off duty, and 8 hrs driving. Start On Duty: 4 hrs driving, 2 hrs on duty not driving, 3 hrs driving, 2 hrs off duty, 3 hrs driving Start On Duty: 6 hrs driving, 5 hrs on duty not driving, 5 hrs driving Did you catch that? The third example would have given the driver a VIOLATION. Even though they complied with the 11 hour rule, they drove over the 14 hour rule. If that isn’t enough to remember, there’s one more rule that ensures drivers do not get too fatigued on their shift. 30-Minute Break / 8 Hour On DutyThe mandatory 30 minute break is a commonly forgotten rule. Drivers must take a 30 minute break after 8 hours of on duty time [changing in September] Once a driver is on duty for 8 hours, they must not log any more driving time. Driving without taking a break after 8 hours on duty = VIOLATION. Drivers can continue to perform non-driving duties without taking the 30-minute break Hours of Service Cycles in the USThere are 2 different HOS cycle types that drivers can pick from in the US. These limit the number of hours a driver is on-duty within the given cycle – both driving as well as on-duty not driving gets added. The 2 Cycles70 hours in 8 days – Ideal for drivers who operate every day of the week 60 hours in 7 days – Ideal for drivers who don’t drive every day of the week Prior to heading out, the driver must select their cycle. In the case the driver wants to switch cycles, they must take 34 hours off-duty consecutively. US DOT Hours of Service Rules in SummaryIf you want to see an ELD that makes staying compliant as easy as reading the time on a clock, click here. (Tip: It’s $0/month for owner operators)
If you operate in Canada as well, keep reading. Otherwise, click here to skip to the exceptions to the US hours of service rules. Canadian NSC Hours of Service Rules*Click on rule to skip to section Let's Define: Full Off-Duty BreakIn Canada, in order to reset your shift and refill the number of hours you are allowed on duty and driving (excluding HOS cycles), you need 8 consecutive hours off-duty. 16 Hour Rule - Shift Window CountdownOnce a driver starts their shift, they have 16 hours before they must go on another full off-duty break. Regardless of number of hours driven or on-duty, the 16 hours countdown does not pause. It doesn’t matter how much time is spent spent on duty, driving, or even off-duty (less than 8 hours); Once those 16 hours are up they must stop driving. 14 Hour Rule - On-Duty LimitA driver can log 14 hours of on duty time before you must stop driving. Once those hours are up, you may either remain on-duty not driving, or go off-duty. 13 Hour Rule - Shift/Daily Driving LimitIn any given day AND shift, a driver can drive for a maximum of 13 hours, regardless of the combination between on-duty not driving, short off-duty breaks, or driving. If a driver drives for the full 13 hours, they can only be on-duty not driving for 1 hour due to the 14 hour on duty rule. Seems simple enough? Let’s see some examples: Start On Duty: 5 hrs driving, 1 hrs off duty, and 8 hrs driving. Start On Duty: 4 hrs driving, 2 hrs on duty not driving, 3 hrs driving, 2 hrs off duty, 5 hrs driving Start On Duty: 6 hrs driving, 5 hrs on duty not driving, 6 hrs driving The third example would have given the driver a VIOLATION. Even though they only drove for a total of 12 hours, not only were they on duty for more than 14 hours, they drove over the 16 hour window. Hours of Service Cycles in CanadaSimilar to the US, there are also 2 different HOS cycle types that drivers can pick from in Canada. However, the cycle options are quite different. The 2 Cycles70 hours in 7 days – To reset: 36 Consecutive hours off-duty 120 hours in 14 days – To reset: 72 Consecutive hours off-duty Prior to heading out, the driver must select their cycle. In the case the driver wants to switch cycles before their current cycle is over, they must follow the reset rules for their current cycle. Hours of Service ExemptionsNow for the fun part. The exceptions to the rules. These generally work in your favor, so make sure you take advantage of them if you meet the requirements for the exception. Note: Only the last exception is applicable while operating in Canada. 30-Minute Break ExemptionIf the driver meets one of the two short-haul operations requirements, they will be exempt from the 30-minute break rule in the US. Requirements (One of the two below): 100 Air Mile Driver
Non-CDL 150 air-mile
14 Hour Short Haul ExemptionOnce per cycle, or after a 34 hour off-duty reset, the driver will be allowed to extend their 14 hour driving window to 16 hours. Requirements:
Adverse Driving ConditionsUnder unexpected adverse driving conditions, drivers may drive up to 2 extra hours (13 hours). Requirements:
Emergency ConditionsWith this exception, during the occurrence of an emergency condition, all rules could be waived. Although the definition of an ‘emergency condition’ is not made clear, the rule of thumb is that under normal circumstances, the driver could have completed their run without any violations. From the FMCSA guidelines: “The term “in any emergency” shall not be construed as encompassing such situations as a driver’s desire to get home, shippers’ demands, market declines, shortage of drivers, or mechanical failures.” 8/2 Split Sleeper Berth USAThis exemption allows drivers to pause their 14 hour clock (14 hour rule) for 8 hours, by splitting their 10 hour mandatory break.
That’s why it is sometimes referred to as the 8/2 split sleeper berth exemption. Requirements: Within the driver’s 14 hour window between two full 10 hour breaks, a driver can actually choose to split their 10 hour break into 2 shifts:
The order in which the driver takes the sleeper berth shifts does not matter, however only the 8 hour+ sleeper berth shift can pause the 14 hour clock. This exception can be extremely useful in situations where a driver finds themselves waiting for hours at a loading dock – however due to its complexity, manually tracking split sleeper berth hours can easily lead to a mistakes and violations. Split Sleeper Berth CanadaThis exemption allows drivers to pause their 16 hour window by splitting their mandatory off-duty time into 2 shifts. However, the rules vary depending on whether they are driving alone or with a team. For individual drivers: Total sleeper berth hours must total 10 or more hours, with an 8/2 split. For teams (2 or more drivers): Total off duty time of 8 hours, split into 2 sleeper berth shifts: – Both shifts must be a minimum of 4 hours (4/4) – Shifts must be spent entirely in the sleeper berth Switchboard’s on-screen split sleeper berth option automatically tracks the pause in the 14 hour countdown, while ensuring the second shift of 2 hours is taken. Set up a free 5 minute demo here. Off-Duty Deferral CanadaDue to the daily 10 hours off-duty rule, drivers have the option of deferring 2 of the hours to the next consecutive day. However, there are quite a few requirements that need to be met:
Crossing the US/Canada BorderIf your drivers operate between the United States and Canada, unfortunately that means they will need to abide by each set of hours-of-service rules, while they are in that specific country. None of the rules overlap, so you will need to make sure you plan ahead before you cross the border to ensure you don’t violate any hours of service rules when you do cross. Many ELDs don’t make it easy to keep track of how much time is left for each rule, and even less so when crossing the border. To make things easier, we’ve put together this table to show the Canadian and US rules side by side: Staying Compliant - The Easy WayWe believe that ELDs should make compliance simple for drivers and safety officers. Not only should it be easy to use, it should allow users to feel confident that they will be safe from violations. That’s why Switchboard has created an ELD app that can be learnt in minutes, with little to no guidance or training. All that’s required to stay compliant in both Canada and the USA is: 1. Click on-duty when they start their shift 2. Make sure the timers don’t hit 00:00 3. Click off-duty when they complete their shift It’s really that simple. Each rule is right there on screen with a countdown timer. Leveraging the GPS technology in combination with odometer tracking allows our ELD to automatically: 1. Switch to driving mode once the driver is on-duty and begins driving 2. Detect border crossing to switch between US and Canada hours of service timers to ensure compliance on either side Switchboard started with one missionTo protect drivers and trucking companies from nasty hours of service violations by simplifying compliance. That’s why we will always keep our ELD $0/month for owner operators, and extremely affordable for fleets. Say no to violations. Simplify hours of service.Book a free 5 minute demo and we’ll show you just how simple it is to use. Managing a fleet?We have additional solutions for you too.Intelligent Driver Alerts
What is the 11th hour rule?According to the law, truckers are only allowed to drive 11 hours out of every 24, before they must take a 10-hour break.
What is the 11You cannot drive more than a total of 11 hours without taking a 10-hour break (the 11-hour rule only applies to the time on line 3/drive line). If you spend 34 consecutive hours on lines 1, 2 or a combination of the two, then you may restart your 70 hours all over. You just studied 12 terms!
How do you extend the 14A driver may also use the sleeper berth to extend the 14-hour limit. Any period in the sleeper berth of at least 8 consecutive hours does not count as part of the 14 hours, and, therefore, allows a driver to extend the time during which a driver could use their maximum 11 hours of driving.
How does the 16 hour rule work?It is your “workday,” the time between your off-duty periods of at least 10 consecutive hours. You must be released from duty within 16 hours after coming on duty. You must only use this exception once every 7 consecutive days (unless you took 34 consecutive hours off to restart a 7/8-day period).
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