U.S. property-carrying HOS rules (49 CFR §395): max 11 hours driving in a 14-hour on-duty window after 10 consecutive hours off duty, plus a 70-hour/8-day rolling cap. A 30-minute non-driving break is required after 8 consecutive hours of driving. Sleeper-berth split (7+3 or 8+2) can extend the duty window. Adverse conditions can add up to 2 hours.
The 11/14/70 framework
11 hours: maximum driving time in one shift. 14 hours: maximum on-duty window from the moment you go on-duty until your last drive time. 10 hours: minimum consecutive off-duty before you can start a new shift.
70/8: rolling maximum on-duty hours across 8 consecutive days. A 34-hour off-duty restart resets the 70-hour clock (optional — you can also just wait for the rolling window to open up).
The 30-minute break
Required after 8 consecutive hours of driving. Can be logged as off-duty, sleeper-berth, or on-duty (not-driving). The 2020 rule change allowed on-duty (not-driving) as a qualifying break — you can now fuel or do a pre-trip and satisfy the break.
Sleeper-berth split — the 7+3 and 8+2 exceptions
Split 10 hours off between the sleeper berth as 7+3 or 8+2. Neither period counts against the 14-hour window when properly paired. This is how team drivers effectively run 20+ hours per truck per day.
Example: 8-hour sleeper + 2-hour off-duty pause. The 8 restarts the driving clock without ending your duty window for the surrounding 2 hours.
Adverse conditions — 49 CFR §395.1(b)
Adverse driving conditions (unexpected snow, fog, or a road closure) allow up to 2 additional driving and duty hours. Must be documented in the ELD notes and be genuinely unforeseen — a Wyoming winter isn't 'adverse' in January.
This exception is real but audited. Overuse triggers an FMCSA review of every claim.
Sleeper-berth split rules — the part most drivers get wrong
The 8/2 and 7/3 splits let a driver pause the 14-hour duty window without ending it. Take at least 7 (or 8) consecutive hours in the sleeper, then a second qualifying rest of at least 2 (or 3) hours off-duty or in the sleeper. The two periods must total 10 hours.
Only the longer period restarts the 14-hour clock at the moment the second period ends. That means a well-planned split can add 3–5 productive hours on a long-lane run — the ELD calculates it automatically once you log both periods correctly.
Adverse conditions and the 30-minute break
The adverse-conditions exception (§395.1(b)) extends the 11-hour drive limit by up to 2 hours when unforeseeable conditions (blizzard, unexpected road closure, wildfire) prevent completion of the run as originally planned. Traffic and rush hour do not qualify — the FMCSA has been explicit about this.
The 30-minute break requirement (after 8 cumulative drive hours) can be on-duty not driving as of the 2020 amendment — fueling, pre-trip, or loading time counts, as long as you are not behind the wheel. That change alone gave working drivers ~30 minutes per day back.
Frequently asked questions
Does adverse weather extend HOS?
Yes — drivers can add up to 2 hours of driving and duty time for documented, unforeseen adverse conditions per 49 CFR §395.1(b).
Can I use the personal conveyance exception to run home?
Only for enhancing rest — not for load-related movement. Running loaded 30 miles for a shipper reload is not personal conveyance.
What's the penalty for an HOS violation?
Roadside out-of-service (drive time added back before restart). Repeat patterns hurt CSA scores and increase insurance.