Hours of Service Rules: The 11, 14 and 34-Hour Rules Explained
Federal hours of service rules for truck drivers, plainly: the 11-hour and 14-hour limits, the 30-minute break, the 34-hour restart, and sleeper berth splits.
How this guide was checked
This guide was written from the sources listed below, and Atif M., Arhox's editor, is responsible for it and corrects errors readers report. A dated line-by-line check against those sources is recorded here once the editor has completed one.
Drafting is assisted by AI tools. It has not been reviewed by an attorney or a licensed insurance professional. Read our editorial standards, or report a problem.
Sources (3)
- 49 CFR 395.3ecfr.gov · section 395.3
- Sleeper berth provision, 49 CFR 395.1(g)law.cornell.edu · 395.1
- Record of duty statusecfr.gov · section 395.8
In this guide
A truck driver hauling freight may drive at most 11 hours in a work shift, inside a 14-hour window, after 10 straight hours off duty. Those limits come from federal regulation, and breaking them is one of the most common findings in fatigue-related truck crashes.
The short version:
- 11 hours of driving, at most, per shift.
- No driving after the 14th hour since coming on duty.
- A 30-minute break once 8 hours of driving have passed.
- No driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days.
This guide covers the rules for property-carrying trucks under 49 CFR 395.3. Buses and some short-haul and other operations have different rules. It is general information, not legal advice.
The four limits
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| 10 hours off | A driver may not drive without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty |
| 14-hour window | A driver may not drive after the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty |
| 11 hours driving | Within that window, a driver may drive a total of 11 hours |
| 30-minute break | Driving is not permitted once more than 8 hours of driving have passed without a break of at least 30 consecutive minutes |
| 60/70-hour cap | No driving after 60 on-duty hours in 7 consecutive days, or 70 in 8 days if the carrier operates every day of the week |
The 14-hour window is the one people misread. It is a clock that starts when the driver comes on duty and keeps running through meals, fuel stops, and waiting at a loading dock. A driver who starts at 6 a.m. generally cannot drive after 8 p.m., even if only 7 of those hours were spent driving.
The 30-minute break
The break must be at least 30 consecutive minutes with no driving. It can be spent off duty, in the sleeper berth, or on duty but not driving, such as waiting to be unloaded. Drivers who qualify for the short-haul exceptions are not covered by this requirement.
The weekly cap and the 34-hour restart
On-duty time is counted over a rolling 7 or 8 days. Which applies depends on the carrier: 60 hours in 7 days if it does not run trucks every day of the week, 70 hours in 8 days if it does.
A driver can reset that count. Any 7- or 8-day period may end with the start of an off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours. This is usually called the 34-hour restart.
The sleeper berth rule
A driver whose truck has a sleeper berth does not have to take the 10 hours off in one block. Under the sleeper berth provision, 49 CFR 395.1(g), the 10 hours can be split into two rest periods if:
- one period is at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth;
- the other is at least 2 consecutive hours, off duty or in the berth;
- the two together add up to at least 10 hours.
That allows a 7/3 or an 8/2 split, among others. Neither qualifying period counts against the 14-hour window, and the driving and window limits are recalculated from the end of the first of the two periods. The driving before and after each rest period, added together, still cannot exceed 11 hours.
The split is legal, but it is also where log entries get complicated. After a crash, a lawyer checking for fatigue will compare the logged berth periods against fuel receipts, GPS data, and delivery times to see whether the driver was actually resting.
Who has to follow these rules
The limits apply to drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles and to the carriers that employ them. The regulation is written both ways: a carrier may not “permit or require” a driver to break the limits, and the driver may not do so either. That matters after a crash, because the company is responsible as well as the driver.
Trucks that never leave one state are governed by that state’s rules, which are often similar but not always identical. Several exceptions also exist, including for short-haul drivers and for adverse driving conditions.
How compliance is recorded
Drivers must keep a record of duty status, which for most is produced by an electronic logging device (ELD) connected to the engine. The carrier must keep those records and their supporting documents, such as fuel receipts and bills of lading, for six months.
Why this matters after a crash
Tired drivers react slowly and misjudge speed and distance. If a driver was past the limits, that is evidence of negligence by the driver and often by the company that set the schedule.
Proving it depends on the logs, the ELD data, and the supporting documents, and a carrier may lawfully discard them after six months. That is why a spoliation letter demanding they be kept is normally sent within days of a serious crash.
Signs that investigators and attorneys look for:
- driving time that exceeds 11 hours, or driving after the 14th hour;
- no 30-minute break in a long stretch of driving;
- logs that do not match fuel receipts, toll records, or GPS data;
- dispatch messages that pushed a delivery time the rules made impossible.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can a truck driver drive in a day?
Up to 11 hours, within a 14-hour window that begins when the driver comes on duty, and only after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
Does the 14-hour clock stop for breaks?
Generally no. It runs continuously from the time the driver comes on duty, including meal breaks and waiting time. Limited exceptions exist, for example when a driver splits rest using a sleeper berth.
What is the 34-hour restart?
It is a way to reset the weekly count. After 34 or more consecutive hours off duty, a new 7- or 8-day period begins.
How long does a trucking company keep driver logs?
Six months for records of duty status and supporting documents. After that they may be discarded unless the company has been put on notice to keep them.
Is an hours of service violation proof the driver was at fault?
Not automatically. It is strong evidence of negligence, and in some states a safety-rule violation carries extra legal weight, but fault still depends on what caused the crash.
Where to go from here
Hours of service is one part of a truck accident claim. Read who is liable in a truck accident and how to choose a truck accident lawyer, or see all the injury claim guides. Arhox is an independent publication, not a law firm; our editorial policy and disclaimer explain how these guides are prepared.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by state and by situation; a licensed attorney or insurance professional can speak to yours. Read the full disclaimer.