HOS Rules Explained for Owner Operators (The Short Version)

The summary you got from another driver about Hours of Service might be accurate — or it might reflect rules from before the 2020 FMCSA update. Here's the current property-driver ruleset in plain language, covering the limits that apply to most owner-operators hauling freight in interstate commerce.

Who These Rules Apply To

HOS rules apply to commercial motor vehicle drivers operating in interstate commerce. For property-carrying operations — freight, flatbed, reefer, tanker — these are the relevant rules. Passenger-carrying vehicles operate under a separate, stricter set of limits.

If you operate exclusively within 150 air-miles of your starting point and return within 14 hours, the short-haul exemption may apply to you. That section is covered below — it changes the compliance picture significantly for local and regional operators.

The Four Core Limits

1. 11-Hour Driving Limit

You may drive a maximum of 11 hours per shift. Once you've hit 11 driving hours after starting from 10 consecutive hours off duty, you must stop driving — regardless of where you are or how close you are to your destination.

2. 14-Hour Window

You have a 14-hour window from the time you first come on duty to complete all driving. The window starts the moment you go on duty (or begin driving) after 10 consecutive hours off. Once it's open, it counts down in real time — it doesn't pause for breaks, loading and unloading, or time spent waiting at a shipper.

This is the limit drivers most often underestimate. You could drive only 6 hours, spend 4 hours on-duty not driving, and still have only 4 hours left in your window — not 5, because the window ran while you were loading.

3. 30-Minute Break

If you've driven for 8 cumulative hours without a break of at least 30 minutes, you must take one before you can drive again. The break can be spent off duty, on-duty not driving, or in the sleeper berth — it doesn't have to be off the clock entirely.

This was updated in 2020. Before the update, the break had to be taken as off-duty time. Now, a 30-minute on-duty break (paperwork, pre-loading inspection, waiting at a facility) satisfies the requirement as long as you weren't driving during it.

4. 60/70-Hour Weekly Limit

You may not drive after accumulating 60 hours on-duty in any 7 consecutive days or 70 hours on-duty in any 8 consecutive days. Which limit applies depends on whether your motor carrier operates vehicles every day of the week:

• Carriers NOT operating every day of the week: 60-hour/7-day limit
• Carriers operating 7 days per week: 70-hour/8-day limit

Most owner-operators who set their own schedules use the 70-hour/8-day cycle. Hours are counted on a rolling basis — as each day drops off the back end of the 8-day window, those hours free up.

The 10-Hour Off-Duty Reset

Before you can start a new shift, you need at least 10 consecutive hours off duty. This resets your 11-hour driving limit and starts a fresh 14-hour window.

The 10 hours must be consecutive — two 5-hour off-duty periods don't combine. Once you've had 10 straight hours off, your driving and window clocks reset and a new shift begins.

Restarting Your Weekly Hours: The 34-Hour Restart

When you've exhausted most of your weekly hours, the 34-hour restart lets you reset your 60/70-hour clock by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off duty. After the restart, your weekly limit starts fresh from zero.

You don't have to use a restart — you can let hours roll off the 8-day window naturally. The restart is useful when you want to wipe the clock clean quickly rather than waiting out the rolling window.

Sleeper Berth Splits

If your truck has a sleeper berth, you can split your required off-duty time across two separate rest periods instead of taking 10 straight hours off. The current rules allow two split options:

Option 1 (8+2): One period of at least 8 hours in the sleeper berth, plus a separate period of at least 2 consecutive hours (sleeper berth, off duty, or a combination).

Option 2 (7+3): One period of at least 7 hours in the sleeper berth, plus a separate period of at least 3 consecutive hours (sleeper berth, off duty, or a combination).

In both options, the two periods must total at least 10 hours. The shorter split period does not count against your 14-hour window — it effectively pauses the clock. This is the main benefit of the sleeper berth provision: you can take a 2- or 3-hour break mid-shift without burning down your window.

The specific requirements are in 49 CFR 395.1(g). If you run team or use a sleeper regularly, understanding the exact mechanics of your chosen split option is worth a careful read of the regulation.

Adverse Driving Conditions

If you encounter adverse driving conditions that couldn't reasonably be anticipated before your shift — sudden severe weather, road closures, an unexpected accident blocking alternate routes — you're allowed to extend your driving limit by up to 2 hours. This means up to 13 hours of driving and a 16-hour window in those circumstances.

The extension applies only to conditions you couldn't have known about when you started driving. If you left in weather you already knew was severe, the extension doesn't apply. This is a narrow exception for genuinely unexpected situations.

The Short-Haul Exemption

Drivers who meet all of the following qualify for the short-haul exemption:

1. You operate within a 150 air-mile radius of your normal work-reporting location
2. You return to your work-reporting location and go off duty within 14 hours of coming on duty
3. You have at least 10 consecutive hours off before your next on-duty period

Short-haul drivers who qualify:

• Are not required to keep Records of Duty Status (paper logs or ELD)
• Are not required to complete a post-trip DVIR (written vehicle inspection report)
• Are exempt from the 30-minute break requirement

Short-haul drivers are still subject to the 60/70-hour weekly limits. The exemption removes the logging and some documentation burdens — not the underlying time constraints.

If you operate on the edge of the 150-mile radius or occasionally go beyond it, you lose the exemption for any day you exceed the distance or time limits. Plan accordingly.

HOS Rules Summary Table

Tracking Hours and ELD Requirements

Drivers required to keep Records of Duty Status must use an ELD (Electronic Logging Device) unless they qualify for an exemption. The main exemptions are the short-haul exemption, vehicles manufactured before 2000, and a few narrow operational categories.

ELDs automatically track on-duty, off-duty, driving, and sleeper berth time and alert you when you're approaching limits. If you're running regulated routes, your ELD is the primary compliance tool — know how to read it and how to interpret the status logs.

Truck Command integrates with Motive and Samsara ELDs to pull hours-of-service data alongside your load data. When you're planning a dispatch, knowing how many hours your drivers have available changes what's possible. Dispatching tools that account for available drive time alongside load data keep planning realistic rather than reactive.

For the broader compliance picture — DOT filing deadlines, vehicle inspection records, license renewals — Truck Command's compliance management tracks what's due and when, so HOS is one piece of a complete compliance picture rather than an isolated concern.

The core of HOS rules is simple: 11 hours driving, 14-hour window, 10 hours off between shifts. The nuances — sleeper berth splits, the 30-minute break, the weekly clock — matter depending on how you run. Know your limits, use your ELD to track them, and build in buffer so you're not making forced decisions when your window is about to close.

Truck Command handles load management, dispatch, compliance tracking, and ELD integration for owner-operators and small fleets. Plans start at $20/month with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.