Explore the sections in this guide
The short answer
Under the general federal property-carrying rules, start with 10 consecutive hours off duty. Driving is limited to 11 hours within a 14-consecutive-hour window after coming on duty. The 14-hour window is not 14 hours of allowed driving.
Generally, more than eight hours of driving requires a 30-minute interruption in driving status. Qualifying short-haul drivers are excepted from that break requirement. The 60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day limit also applies, depending on the carrier schedule.
A practical example
A terminal delay uses time in the driving window even when the wheels are not moving. Recheck the available window before accepting the next assignment.
Your next steps
- Review driving time, the window, and the applicable cycle together.
- Discuss delays with dispatch before the next load.
- Check any claimed exception against the actual operation.
Four clocks that affect the assignment
| Record or decision | What it addresses | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Driving limit | Time spent driving | Check the remaining driving time. |
| Driving window | Elapsed window after coming on duty | Loading and other work can consume the window. |
| Break requirement | Required interruption in driving status | Check applicability and the actual record. |
| Cycle limit | Accumulated on-duty time | Use the cycle applicable to the carrier schedule. |
Work through the whole assignment
Under the general rules, a driver starting at 6:00 a.m. has a 14-hour driving window ending at 8:00 p.m. If the driver has used nine driving hours by 5:00 p.m., two driving hours remain under the 11-hour limit, but only three elapsed hours remain in that window. A proposed load involving an hour at the shipper, two hours driving, and an hour unloading cannot be evaluated from “two hours left” alone. Check the actual sequence, cycle, break status, and any applicable exception.
Labels should describe the activity accurately
Waiting at a customer is not automatically off duty merely because the truck is parked. The appropriate duty status depends on the applicable definition and facts. When a log and dispatch record disagree, determine what happened before suggesting any authorized correction. Never make a status entry solely to create the hours needed for an assignment.
Dispatch needs a stopping plan
Estimate the time to a suitable stopping location and discuss the plan when delays occur. A map travel estimate does not account for every terminal queue, fueling stop, loading problem, or parking constraint. Driver and dispatcher communications should identify the remaining limits and revised plan, rather than simply repeating the delivery deadline.
What satisfies the 30-minute break?
Under the general property-carrying rule, the break is required before continuing to drive after eight cumulative driving hours without a qualifying interruption. Thirty consecutive minutes of off-duty time, sleeper-berth time, on-duty time without driving, or a combination can satisfy it. It is not an eight-hour on-duty trigger. Qualifying short-haul drivers are excepted.
The driving window does not prohibit all later work
In the example above, driving from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. could fit the remaining window, while unloading afterward is not itself prohibited by the 14-hour driving restriction. Any additional driving after 8:00 p.m., including a return trip or move to parking, needs a separately valid basis. Check the break and cycle as well. The 60-hour/7-day limit applies when the carrier does not operate every day of the week; the 70-hour/8-day limit applies when it does. They are not simply interchangeable settings a driver selects to gain time.
Example: the driver still has driving hours, but the window is closing
Under the general property-carrying rule, a driver comes on duty at 6:00 a.m. after ten consecutive hours off. By 6:30 p.m., the driver has used eight driving hours. The eleven-hour limit leaves three driving hours, while the ordinary fourteen-hour window leaves only an hour and a half before 8:00 p.m. A two-hour drive cannot fit that window. Check the break and cycle limits as well. An exception requires its own facts and calculation.
The cycle can control the decision before the daily limits do
The sixty-hour/seven-day or seventy-hour/eight-day limitation uses on-duty time. A driver can begin the day with a fresh daily driving allowance and still reach the applicable cycle limit before completing the assignment. Dispatch needs the relevant preceding days, not just today’s display. A qualifying restart or exception changes the calculation only when its conditions are met. Keep the actual duty history available when evaluating the next load.
Official source
Confirm applicability, exceptions, and current requirements for your operation. This is a focused summary.
