Hours of Service Updates You Need to Know

The FMCSA revised some of their regulations to be less rigid towards drivers, as meeting these standards during an emergency can be difficult. It also creates an exception for drivers who do not travel beyond a 150-mile radius of their home base. All these revisions were made with both driver flexibility and safety in mind, especially after the 2020 pandemic increased customer demand.

The Educational Tool for Hours of Service (ETHOS) is an online tool designed to monitor carriers and drivers by letting them view any infractions against them for violating HOS regulations. As the name implies, it can be used as a learning tool for drivers to understand what actions they need to improve on in the future while driving and lets carriers know what their drivers may need retraining or reminders about.

The following HOS regulations were revised:

• Drivers who only travel 150 miles or less are exempted from logging their HOS hours.
• The driving window can expand up to 2 hours in the event of adverse driving conditions.
• Drivers must take a 30-minute break after 8 consecutive hours of driving. On-duty, non-driving activities qualify for this 30-minute break.
• A driver can split their required 10-hour off-duty period, as long as one half is at least 2 hours long and the other 7 hours is spent in the sleeper berth. The pairings must add up to 10 hours.

Drivers must adhere to these new changes after September 29, 2020.

After 10 consecutive hours off duty, a driver may drive up to 11 hours. After going on duty following that rest, the driver has a 14-hour on-duty window in which driving or other work may occur.

Yes, under existing sleeper-berth rules, a driver may split the required 10-hour off-duty period into at least two separate periods (one at least 7 hours in the sleeper berth and one at least 2 hours off-duty), and neither segment counts toward the 14-hour driving window.

The FMCSA is testing more flexibility for the 14-hour driving window and additional sleeper-berth split options, among other changes intended to reduce fatigue and adapt to modern freight operations.

When drivers encounter adverse driving conditions (such as weather or traffic beyond their control), they may extend their driving window by up to 2 additional hours under current rules.

Under the short-haul exception, drivers operating within a specific air-mile radius from their reporting location may qualify for a longer on-duty window and some exemptions. The radius and hours have been expanded in recent updates.

HOS rules are primarily enforced by state and federal inspectors through roadside checks, weigh stations, and compliance audits. Enforcement officials review the driver’s Electronic Logging Device (ELD) records, supporting documents, and inspection reports. Violations can result in fines, out-of-service orders, and penalties for both the driver and carrier. Staying compliant requires keeping accurate, up-to-date logs and proper documentation for every trip.

ELDs have made HOS compliance more transparent. They automatically record driving time, engine hours, vehicle movement, and location data, replacing older paper logs. While this automation reduces recordkeeping errors, it also means violations are detected immediately. Drivers and dispatchers must ensure ELDs are working properly and reflect accurate duty status throughout the day.

Exceeding HOS limits is considered a regulatory violation. Depending on the severity, enforcement agencies may place the driver out of service until the required off-duty period is completed. Carriers may face fines, and repeated violations can impact CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) scores, raising insurance premiums and damaging reputations.

Yes, the FMCSA can issue emergency declarations that temporarily suspend HOS regulations in specific areas or for certain types of freight—such as fuel, medical supplies, or food. These exemptions are designed to support emergency relief efforts and ensure essential goods reach affected regions quickly. Once the declaration ends, standard HOS limits resume.

For team drivers, each driver must independently comply with HOS limits, even though the truck moves continuously. When one driver is on duty, the other must be off duty or in the sleeper berth. Split sleeper-berth provisions make it easier for team drivers to manage rest cycles, but accurate logging is essential to avoid compliance issues.

“On-duty” time includes any period when a driver is working—loading, inspecting, fueling, or performing paperwork—while “driving” time refers only to actual time behind the wheel. Both count toward the 14-hour on-duty limit, but only driving time applies to the 11-hour driving maximum. Misclassifying these can lead to unintentional violations.

Shippers play a role, too. Scheduling flexible pickup and delivery windows, reducing detention time, and avoiding last-minute load changes help carriers remain compliant. Partnering with brokers like FreightCenter ensures your freight is handled by carriers who follow HOS regulations and maintain reliable safety standards.