• Property-carrying CMV drivers must have at least 10 consecutive hours off duty, in a sleeper berth, or a combination of off-duty/sleeper-berth time to be eligible to drive 11 hours in the next 14-hour period.
• Spending 10 non-consecutive hours of rest in two separate periods, with driving or other on-duty time in between, can meet the 10-hour rest requirement but does not provide the driver with the eligibility to drive a full 11 hours in a 14-hour period.

Drivers who operate property-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) must have at least 10 consecutive hours off duty and/or in a sleeper berth before getting behind the wheel. Having a 10-hour break makes a driver eligible for a full 11 hours of driving time within the next 14-hour period. Without this restorative 10-hour break, a driver will not be able to maximize use of the 11- and 14-hour rules.

Key points

There are four ways to obtain the required 10 hours of rest:

1. Spending 10 consecutive hours off duty (any time that is not “on duty,” “driving,” or in a sleeper berth).
2. Spending 10 consecutive hours in a sleeper berth.
3. Spending 10 consecutive hours using any combination of off-duty and sleeper-berth time.
4. Spending 10 non-consecutive hours of rest in two separate periods, with driving or other on-duty time in between. One of the two periods must be at least seven consecutive hours in a sleeper berth and the other must be at least two hours off duty and/or in a sleeper berth, and the two periods must add up to at least 10 hours. Using this option does not provide the driver will a full 11- and 14-hour allowance after completing the 10 hours of rest. This option is referred to as the split-sleeper exception or split-break provision.

• See: Split-sleeper exception

The following graphics depict the four basic ways for drivers to obtain the 10 hours of required rest:

Option 1: 10 consecutive hours off duty. This cannot include any on-duty activities, such as performing compensated work for a non-motor carrier (i.e., working a second job).

Option 2: 10 consecutive hours in a sleeper berth.

Option 3: 10 consecutive hours combining sleeper-berth and off-duty periods.

Option 4: 10 non-consecutive hours of rest in two separate periods. One period must be at least seven consecutive hours in a sleeper berth, the other must be at least two consecutive hours off duty, in a sleeper berth, or using a combination of the two, and these two “qualifying” breaks must add up to at least 10 hours.

Other ways to obtain 10 hours of rest while in a vehicle

Drivers can obtain off-duty time — even 10 or more consecutive hours off duty — by resting in or on a parked vehicle, unless the driver is required to attend to cargo or perform any other work. For example, a driver could sleep in a parked pickup truck for 10 hours, if necessary, and this would satisfy the 10-hour break requirement.

Drivers in sleeper cabs can go “off duty” for up to three hours while riding in the passenger seat of a moving, property-carrying CMV, as long as it’s immediately before or after a period of seven or more consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. If the consecutive break (sleeper-berth time plus riding time) equals 10 hours or more, it resets the 11- and 14-hour limits. If less than 10, the passenger-seat time counts against the 14-hour limit.