Hours of service rules control your life as a truck driver. They dictate when you can drive, when you have to stop, and how long you have to rest. Break them and you’re looking at fines, CSA points, and potentially losing your CDL. Understand them and you can plan your days to maximize miles and income without ever touching a violation.
Here’s the complete breakdown of HOS rules as they stand in 2026.
The 11-Hour Driving Limit
You can drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. That’s your driving window. Once you’ve driven 11 hours, you’re done driving until you take another 10-hour break.
This is cumulative driving time, not continuous. If you drive 4 hours, stop for fuel and a meal (on-duty not driving), then drive another 7 hours, you’ve used all 11. The clock doesn’t reset during on-duty breaks.
The 14-Hour On-Duty Window
This is the one that catches most new drivers. You have a 14-hour window from the moment you start any on-duty activity. Once 14 hours have passed since you came on duty, you cannot drive again until you take a 10-hour break. Period.
The critical thing: this clock does NOT stop. If you start your day at 6 AM with a pre-trip, your 14-hour window closes at 8 PM regardless of what you did during those 14 hours. Even if you sat at a dock for 5 hours waiting to get loaded, those 5 hours still count against your 14.
This is why trip planning matters. Starting your clock too early is the number one mistake rookies make. If your delivery appointment is at 2 PM and you’re 60 miles away, do not start your day at 6 AM. You’ll burn 8 hours of your window before you even pick up the load.
The 30-Minute Break Rule
Before you reach your 8th hour of driving time, you must take a 30-minute break. This can be off-duty or on-duty not driving (like fueling or doing paperwork at a shipper). The key word is “driving time,” not on-duty time.
Set an alarm. If you forget and drive past the 8-hour mark without a break, that’s a violation on your record. It’s the easiest rule to comply with and the easiest to accidentally break.
The 60/70-Hour Rule
On top of your daily limits, there’s a weekly cap. If your carrier operates 7 days a week, you can be on duty a maximum of 60 hours in 7 consecutive days. If they operate every day (most do), it’s 70 hours in 8 consecutive days.
Think of this as a rolling window. Every day, the oldest day drops off and the current day adds on. When your cumulative on-duty hours hit 60 or 70, you can’t drive until enough old hours roll off or you take a 34-hour restart.
The 34-Hour Restart
If you take 34 consecutive hours off duty, your 60/70-hour clock resets to zero. This is the “restart.” Most drivers use it over a weekend: park Friday evening, don’t start again until Sunday morning, and you’ve got a fresh 70 hours.
The restart must include two periods between 1 AM and 5 AM. This effectively means a restart takes at least two nights. You can’t game it by starting at noon and ending at 10 PM the next day.
Sleeper Berth Split
This is the advanced move that most CDL schools barely mention. You can split your 10-hour off-duty period into two periods, as long as one is at least 7 hours in the sleeper berth and the other is at least 2 hours (either off-duty or sleeper). Neither period counts against your 14-hour window.
The 7/3 and 8/2 splits let you essentially pause your 14-hour clock. This is incredibly useful for drivers who hit traffic, bad weather, or shipper delays. Instead of burning your whole 14-hour window sitting at a dock, you can take a 2-hour sleeper berth break, pause the clock, and resume later.
This takes practice to use effectively. Get your trainer or an experienced driver to walk you through it with real examples before you try it on your own.
Personal Conveyance
Personal conveyance allows you to move your truck for personal reasons (finding food, safe parking, a rest area) without it counting as driving time. You must be off duty and the movement must be personal, not furthering the load.
This is not a loophole to extend your driving time. Using personal conveyance to get closer to a shipper or delivery is a violation. But using it to drive 5 miles to a truck stop with parking when the rest area is full? That’s exactly what it’s for.
What Happens When You Violate
HOS violations go on your PSP (Pre-Employment Screening Program) report. Future carriers will see them when they run your background. A pattern of violations makes you unhirable at top carriers.
During a roadside inspection, an HOS violation can result in being placed out of service. That means you sit where you are until you’ve accumulated enough off-duty time to legally drive again. Your load is late, your carrier is unhappy, and the violation follows you for three years.
The fines range from $1,000 to $16,000 per violation depending on severity. Your carrier can also be fined, which means they’ll be looking at you as a liability.
How to Protect Yourself
Plan backwards from your appointment. Know when you need to arrive and work backwards to determine when to start your day. Guard your 14-hour clock like it’s money.
Take your 30-minute break proactively. Don’t wait until hour 7.5 to start looking for a place to stop. Plan it into your route around hour 6 or 7.
Learn the sleeper berth split. It’s the most powerful tool in your HOS toolkit and most drivers never learn to use it properly.
If a dispatcher asks you to push past your hours, say no. Document the request. No load is worth your CDL, your record, or your life.
Gear We Recommend
- Cooler for the Cab
- Dashcam (every driver needs one)
- Noise-Cancelling Headset
- Seat Cushion (your back will thank you)
- LED Headlamp for Pre-Trip
- Phone Mount for Truck
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