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The 10-hour off-duty rule, as part of the federal hours-of-service rules, is designed to prevent fatigued driving of commercial motor vehicles.
This requirement applies to drivers and motor carriers operating property-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce.
The driver of a property-carrying CMV must have 10 consecutive hours away from work before first getting behind the wheel of a CMV. Getting these 10 hours of rest makes the driver eligible to drive for a full 11 hours within a 14-hour period.
There are four ways to obtain the required rest:
When a driver gets 10 consecutive hours of rest, the driver is eligible to drive for up to 11 hours within a 14-hour period, provided the driver has time available under the 60-hour or 70-hour limit.