On this page
- What Is the 11-Hour Driving Limit?
- What Is the 14-Hour Driving Window?
- What Is the 30-Minute Break Rule?
- Are There Weekly Limits Too?
- What Is the Sleeper Berth Provision?
- Are There Exceptions to Hours-of-Service Rules?
- How Are a Driver's Hours Recorded?
- Does an Hours-of-Service Violation Prove a Driver Was Fatigued?
- Why Does It Matter After an Accident?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Hours-of-Service Rules
Driving a large commercial truck requires attention, judgment, and quick reactions. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, uses hours-of-service regulations to place limits on driving time and provide required periods for rest.
For many property-carrying commercial drivers, these rules include an 11-hour driving limit, a 14-hour driving window, a 30-minute break requirement, and weekly on-duty limits. There are also exceptions and special provisions that may change how the rules apply in particular situations.
After a serious truck accident, hours-of-service records can sometimes help investigators understand how long a driver had been driving and working before the collision.
What Is the 11-Hour Driving Limit?
For covered property-carrying commercial drivers, the general rule allows a maximum of 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
The easiest way to understand this is with an example.
Suppose a covered truck driver finishes the required 10 consecutive hours off duty and begins a new work period. During the driver's allowed work window, the driver generally cannot spend more than 11 total hours actually driving.
Once the driver reaches that limit, the driver generally needs another qualifying period of 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving again.
The 11-hour rule focuses specifically on driving time.
That is different from the 14-hour rule.
What Is the 14-Hour Driving Window?
The 14-hour rule limits the window in which covered property-carrying drivers may drive after beginning their workday.
Generally, a driver may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty.
This does not mean a driver is allowed to drive for 14 hours.
The driver is still generally limited to 11 hours of actual driving.
For example, a driver might spend part of the day:
- Inspecting the truck
- Loading or unloading
- Completing paperwork
- Waiting at a facility while on duty
- Fueling the truck
- Driving
Those non-driving work activities can affect the driver's duty day even though the truck is not moving.
This is why the 11-hour and 14-hour rules should not be confused.
What Is the 30-Minute Break Rule?
Covered property-carrying drivers generally must take a break after eight cumulative hours of driving without at least a 30-minute interruption.
The qualifying interruption does not necessarily have to be a traditional off-duty lunch break.
A qualifying 30-minute period can include certain non-driving time, including on-duty but not driving time.
For example, if a driver stops driving and performs a qualifying non-driving activity for at least 30 consecutive minutes, that period may satisfy the break requirement.
The important point is that the current rule focuses on eight cumulative hours of driving, not simply eight hours since the driver's workday began.
Are There Weekly Limits Too?
Yes.
Hours-of-service regulations do not only look at a single day.
Covered property-carrying drivers may also be subject to a 60-hour or 70-hour limit, depending on the motor carrier's operations.
Generally, a driver may not drive after being on duty for:
- 60 hours in seven consecutive days if the motor carrier does not operate commercial motor vehicles every day of the week, or
- 70 hours in eight consecutive days if the carrier operates commercial motor vehicles every day of the week.
This prevents a driver from simply starting a new 11-hour driving period every day without considering the amount of work performed over several consecutive days.
A qualifying driver may also be able to restart the seven- or eight-day calculation after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
What Is the Sleeper Berth Provision?
Many long-distance commercial trucks have sleeper berths where drivers can rest.
Federal rules include a sleeper berth provision that can allow qualifying property-carrying drivers to divide the required 10 hours off duty into two qualifying periods instead of taking all 10 hours at once.
Generally, one qualifying period must include at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, while the other qualifying period must include at least two hours off duty, either inside or outside the sleeper berth.
Together, the two qualifying periods must total at least 10 hours.
This is one example of why reviewing a truck driver's hours can become complicated. Simply looking at one number on a log without understanding the applicable rules may not tell the full story.
Are There Exceptions to Hours-of-Service Rules?
Yes.
Hours-of-service regulations contain exceptions and special provisions that can apply depending on the driver, vehicle, trip, and circumstances.
For example, qualifying short-haul drivers may operate under different recordkeeping requirements when they stay within the applicable air-mile radius and meet other conditions.
There is also an adverse driving conditions exception that may provide additional time in qualifying circumstances involving unexpected adverse conditions.
The rules also contain special provisions involving sleeper berths and certain other operations.
Because exceptions exist, investigators should not automatically assume a driver violated federal law simply because a log appears to show more time than expected.
The correct rule must first be identified and applied to the actual trip.
How Are a Driver's Hours Recorded?
Many covered commercial drivers use an electronic logging device, or ELD, to record driving time and duty status.
These electronic records can help show when the vehicle was being driven and when the driver recorded other duty statuses.
Depending on the operation, other records may also help verify a driver's timeline, including:
- Dispatch communications
- GPS or telematics information
- Bills of lading
- Trip records
- Fuel or expense receipts
- Electronic fleet communications
- Payroll or settlement records
Comparing several records can help investigators determine whether the driver's reported timeline is consistent with other available information.
Does an Hours-of-Service Violation Prove a Driver Was Fatigued?
No.
Hours-of-service records can be relevant to a fatigue investigation, but they cannot directly tell investigators whether someone felt tired at a particular moment.
Likewise, a driver who was technically within the hours-of-service limits could still potentially experience fatigue for other reasons.
Finding a possible hours-of-service violation also does not automatically prove that the violation caused an accident.
Investigators still need to determine what happened, whether fatigue actually played a role, and whether any regulatory issue has a meaningful connection to the collision.
Why Does It Matter After an Accident?
After a serious commercial truck accident, hours-of-service information may help investigators build a timeline of the driver's activities before the collision.
If fatigue or excessive driving time is a concern, investigators may examine the driver's logs and compare them with dispatch records, GPS information, shipping documents, receipts, electronic records, and other available evidence.
At Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates, when we investigate a serious Louisiana truck accident, we can review available hours-of-service records to help determine how long the driver had been driving and working before the collision. We can compare those records with other evidence to see whether the timeline is consistent and whether any potential hours-of-service issue is actually relevant to what happened.
Our goal is not to assume that a truck driver or trucking company violated a rule. We follow the evidence, determine which rules applied, and use that information to help build a clearer understanding of the accident.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hours-of-Service Rules
How many hours can a truck driver drive in one day?
For covered property-carrying drivers under the general federal rule, a driver may drive for up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Exceptions and special provisions can apply.
What is the difference between the 11-hour and 14-hour rules?
The 11-hour rule limits actual driving time. The 14-hour rule generally limits the window during which driving may occur after a covered driver comes on duty following 10 consecutive hours off.
Do truck drivers have to take a 30-minute break?
Covered property-carrying drivers generally need a 30-minute interruption after eight cumulative hours of driving without at least a 30-minute interruption. Certain exceptions can apply.
Can truck drivers work more than 60 or 70 hours in a week?
The federal rule generally prohibits covered drivers from driving after reaching the applicable 60-hour-in-seven-days or 70-hour-in-eight-days on-duty limit. A qualifying 34-hour off-duty period may restart the calculation.
How would we use hours-of-service records after an accident?
At Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates, we can use available driver-hour records to help establish the driver's work and driving timeline before a collision. We may compare those records with ELD information, dispatch records, GPS data, shipping documents, and other evidence to determine whether the driver's hours have any meaningful connection to the accident.
This article is general information about Louisiana law and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines can change, and every case depends on its own facts. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
