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HOS limits: Property-carrying vehicles
  • Drivers of property-carrying CMVs must abide by certain HOS limits to avoid fatigue-related crashes.
  • Drivers must comply with five basic HOS limits.
  • Drivers must track their hours using an electronic logging system, paper logs, or basic time records, depending on which rules apply.

To comply with the hours-of-service (HOS) rules, the driver of a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) must keep five basic numbers in mind: 8, 10, 11, 14, and 60/70. One other number — 34 — is also important but is optional. Each of these is intended to prevent crashes caused by fatigued driving.

  1. 10 hours off duty — A driver may not drive a CMV without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty and/or in a sleeper berth. This is to ensure the driver is well rested before driving.
  2. 8 hours driving/30-minute breaks — A driver may not drive a CMV if more than 8 hours of driving time have passed without having at least 30 consecutive minutes away from driving (whether spent off duty, in a sleeper berth, or on duty/not driving).
  3. 11 hours driving — A driver may not drive a CMV for more than 11 total hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty.
  4. 14-hour window — A driver may not drive a CMV after the end of the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty.
  5. 60/70 hours on duty — A driver may not drive a CMV after having been on duty 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days or — for companies that operate CMVs 7 days per week — 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days. These accumulated hours may be “reset” if a driver has a rest break of at least 34 consecutive hours off duty. (395.3).

How are these limits tracked?

Drivers and motor carriers must keep close watch on their hours and must stop driving when a limit is reached. While most drivers must use an electronic logging system to track their hours, others are allowed to use paper logs and some may use basic time records.

What happens if a driver exceeds one of the HOS limits?

Exceeding an HOS limit can lead to fines, an out-of-service order, a blot on the driver’s safety record, and other penalties. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, exceeding a limit makes the driver more likely to be involved in a fatigue-related crash.