The FMCSA Hours of Service (HOS) rules govern how many hours per day and per week a CDL driver can work and drive. They apply to anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Violations result in out-of-service orders, fines, carrier safety-rating downgrades, and CDL points.
The 11-hour driving limit
You may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Once you've driven 11 hours, you cannot drive again until you've taken another 10-hour off-duty period.
The 14-hour duty limit
You may not drive after the 14th consecutive hour from when you first came on duty. The 14-hour clock includes all on-duty time (driving plus loading, unloading, fueling, paperwork, inspections) and does not pause when you're not driving — it runs continuously from your first on-duty moment until your next 10-hour off-duty break.
The 30-minute break
You must take a 30-minute break (off-duty or in the sleeper berth) before driving more than 8 cumulative hours since your last 30-minute break. The break can be combined with required loading/unloading time as long as you log it as off-duty.
The 60/70-hour weekly limit
You may not drive after 60 on-duty hours in 7 consecutive days, or 70 on-duty hours in 8 consecutive days. The choice between 60/7 and 70/8 depends on whether your carrier operates 7 days a week. The clock can be reset by taking 34 consecutive hours off duty (the "34-hour reset").
Sleeper berth flexibility
Drivers using a sleeper berth can split their 10-hour off-duty time into a 7- and 3-hour pair (or 8- and 2-hour pair) provided one period is at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. The HOS clock pauses for the longer berth period.
Short-haul exception
Drivers who return to their work-reporting location within 14 hours, do not exceed a 150 air-mile radius, and do not require a CDL to operate the vehicle they're driving may be exempt from some HOS recordkeeping requirements. The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate also has carve-outs for short-haul drivers. Read our ELD guide for more.