Samuel Tucker explains federal Hours of Service rules for truck drivers: 11 hours driving after 10 hours off, 14 hours on-duty maximum, and a required 30-minute break. The video covers the 60/70-hour weekly limit, the 34-hour reset, and which documents drivers must carry on the truck.
Today we're going to be discussing the basic hours of service rules. As a truck driver, it's important to understand the basic hours of service rules and how they apply to you. Let's review the main HOS regulations that will have an impact on your driving and rest schedules. The 11-hour rule. The 11-hour rule limits the amount of time you can drive in a single shift. According to this rule, you can only drive a maximum of 11 hours after taking 10 consecutive hours off-duty. The 14-hour rule. The 14-hour rule limits the total amount of time you can work in a single work period. You can only work for a maximum of 14 hours after coming on duty, regardless of how many hours you spend driving. Once you reach the 14-hour limit, you must take 10 consecutive hours off duty before beginning your next shift. It's important to note that the 14-hour limit is separate from the 11-hour driving limit. Even if you haven't driven for the full 11 hours, you must still stop working after 14 hours on duty. The 8-hour rule: The 8-hour rule limits the amount of time you can drive before taking a break. According to this rule, you are required to take a break of at least 30 minutes after driving for a period of 8 hours. You can take this required break in sleeper berth, off-duty or on-duty not driving status or any combo of the 3. The purpose of the 8-hour HOS rule is to prevent fatigue and ensure that you have enough time to rest and recharge during long shifts. By taking regular breaks, you can reduce the risk of accidents caused by fatigue and maintain your alertness while on the road. The 60 or 70-hour limit: The 60 or 70-hour rule limits the amount of time you can drive during a 7 or 8-day period. According to this rule, you are not allowed to work more than 60 hours in a period of 7 consecutive days if your company doesn't operate trucks every day of the week. If your company operates trucks every day, this limit is increased to 70 hours in a period of 8 consecutive days. The purpose of this rule is to prevent fatigue and ensure that you have enough time to rest and recharge between work periods. The 34-hour reset provision. The 34-hour reset HOS provision allows you to reset your weekly work hours to zero. This rule allows you to take a continuous 34-hour break in order to reset your work week and start a new 7 or 8-day work period. The purpose of the provision is to provide you with adequate time to rest and recharge after a busy week on the road. Since hours worked drop off on a rolling basis, using the 34-hour reset is not mandatory, but you can take a full 34 hours off-duty or in the sleeper berth in order to totally reset your weekly driving clock. Required ELD documents. Lastly, there are a handful of ELD-related documents that must be on your truck at all times. These include copies of: 8 days of blank HOS logs, your ELD instruction manual, ELD malfunction instructions, and ELD info transfer instructions. It's a good idea to keep these together with your other important documents, like your annual truck inspection and cab card, inside your truck cab. Following these basic HOS regulations may or may not improve road safety, but doing so will certainly help prevent DOT violations. Thanks for watching! Be safe out there!
