11-hour Driving Limit

30-minute Break Rule

If you drive 8 consecutive hours with no breaks, you can not drive a CMV until you take a 30-minute break. You may perform other on-duty tasks, but you cannot drive.

The 30-minute break must be a break from driving, but you can use those 30 minutes any way you like. You may:

• Go off duty
• Go to the sleeper berth
• Perform on-duty task like a pre-trip inspection or fueling
• Use any combination of on-duty and off-duty time

Any combination of on-duty, off-duty, and sleeper berth time makes up a legal break. You could take 15 minutes on duty time fueling, then another 15 minutes off duty to run into the truck stop to relieve your bladder and purchase a snack and a drink. That would legally suffice for your 30-minute break. As long as you're not driving, you're ok.

If you take some on-duty time at the beginning of your shift, it does not count against your eight hours of driving time. You might start your day at 4:00 a.m. by getting your truck loaded, but you don't start driving until 8:00 a.m. If that is the case, you can drive for up to 8 hours (or until 4:00 p.m.) before being required to stop and take your 30-minute break. Of course, you can take it earlier if you choose. This is just an example to help you understand the structure of the rule. You can not drive more than 8 consecutive hours without taking a 30-minute break. Here is an example of the 30-minute break provision:

The 60/70-hour Duty Limit

Finally, you have the 60/70-hour limit. The 60-hour limit is based on a 7-day period, the 70-hour limit is based on an 8-day period. The calculation of this limit includes both driving time and on duty time, combined.

This limit is sometimes thought of as a weekly limit. However, this limit is not based on a set week, such as Sunday through Saturday. The limit is based on a rolling 7-day or 8-day period. The oldest day's hours drop off at the end of each day when you calculate the total on-duty time for the past 7 or 8 days. For example, if you operate on a 70-hour/8-day schedule, the current day would be the newest day of your 8-day period and the hours you worked 9 days ago would drop out of the calculation.

You are required to follow one of these two "weekly" limits:

The 7-day/60-hour Limit

If your company does not operate vehicles every day of the week, you are eligible to use the 7-day / 60-hour limit. By using this limit, you are not allowed to drive after you’ve been on duty for 60 hours during any 7 consecutive days. Once you reach the 60-hour limit, you will not be able to drive again until you have dropped below 60 hours for a 7-consecutive-day period. You may do other work, but you cannot do any more driving until you are off duty enough days to get below the limit. Any other hours you work, whether they are for a motor carrier or someone else, must be added to the total.

The 8-day/70-hour Limit

If your company operates vehicles every day of the week, you will use the 70-hour / 8-day schedule. This means that you are not allowed to drive after you've been on duty for 70 hours in the previous 8 consecutive days. Once you reach the 70-hour limit, you will not be able to drive again until you have dropped below 70 hours of accumulated on duty time for the previous 8-consecutive-day period. You may do other work, but you cannot do any more driving until you drop below the limit. Any other hours you work, whether they are for a motor carrier or someone else, must be added to the on duty total.