Is use of the 34-hour restart provision mandatory?

No. Under the federal hours-of-service regulations for drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles, use of an off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours to restart the 60/70-hour period is optional. However, a motor carrier may establish an operating policy for utilizing the 34-hour restart when a driver qualifies for it under the provisions of 395.3(c).

A driver may keep track of their daily hours using a recap or a monthly summary to ensure they do not exceed the maximum allowed 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days.