• Following 10 hours of rest (off duty and/or in a sleeper berth), 11 hours of CMV driving time are allowed.
• After 11 hours behind the wheel, the driver must obtain at least another 10 hours of rest before driving a CMV again.
• A driver may continue to work after the 11-hour limit but may not drive a CMV.

Drivers who operate property-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) are limited to 11 hours of driving after having 10 hours off duty.

Federal definitions

• Driving: All time spent at the controls of a CMV in operation.
• On-duty time: All time from the time a driver begins to work or is required to be in readiness to work until the time the driver is relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work. For a complete definition of what “on-duty time” includes, refer to “What is on-duty and off-duty time?”

Key points

• Following 10 hours of rest (off duty and/or in a sleeper berth), 11 hours of CMV driving time are allowed. After 11 hours behind the wheel, the driver must obtain at least another 10 hours of rest before driving a CMV again.
• A driver may continue to be on duty and work after the 11-hour limit but may not drive a CMV.
• The limit is not 11 hours per calendar day, but rather 11 hours after having 10 hours off. A driver may accumulate more than 11 hours of driving time in one 24-hour day.
• Driving time includes all time spent at the controls of a CMV in operation, so if the driver is stuck in traffic, that is considered “driving” even if the vehicle is not moving.
• Under certain conditions, a driver may operate a CMV for personal reasons (such as driving from a terminal to home or from a hotel to a restaurant) and count that driving time as off duty. For details, refer to the discussion of Personal Conveyance.
• Operating a non-CMV is considered on-duty time but not driving time. For example, if a motor carrier requires a CMV driver to drive a company car for a work assignment, that driving time should be recorded as on duty (not driving).