Hours of Service - Who Must Comply?

Most drivers must follow the HOS Regulations if they drive a commercial motor vehicle, or CMV. In general, a CMV is a vehicle that is used as part of a business and is involved in interstate commerce and fits any of these descriptions:

• Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
• Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
• Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
• Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards

Hours of Service Final Rule for Truck Drivers

The Hours of Service of Drivers Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2011. The effective date of the Final Rule was February 27, 2012, and the compliance date of remaining provisions was July 1, 2013.

NOTICE: The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 was enacted on December 16, 2014, suspending enforcement of requirements for use of the 34-hour restart, pending a study. Based on the findings from the CMV Driver Restart Study, the 34-hour restart rule in operational effect on June 30, 2013, is restored to full force and effect.  The requirement for two off-duty periods of 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. in section 395.3(c) of the Agency’s hours-of-service rules will not be enforced, nor will the once-per-week limit on use of the restart in 395.3(d).

Summary of the Hours of Service Regulations

• Click here for a full Summary of the Hours of Service Regulations for Property and Passenger Carrying Drivers

Hours of Service: How Familiar Are You? Webinar

The FMCSA hours of service (HOS) rules are designed to eliminate the type of drowsiness that can lead to crashes.  Although many commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers feel that they know when they are getting drowsy, various laboratory tests have shown that persons are not good at estimating their own drowsiness.

The following topics are discussed in the "Hours of Service: How Familiar Are You?" webinar:

• Purpose of the Hours of Service Rules and Regulations
• Applicability
• Drivers' Responsibilities
• Carriers' Responsibilities
• Property Carrier Hours of Service Driving Time Limits
• Passenger Carrier Hours of Service Driving Time Limits
• Acceptable Recording Methods
• Important dates and deadlins for Electronic Loggind Devices (ELDs)
• Limited Exceptions to the Hours of Service Rules and Regulations

"Hours of service: How Ready are You?" transcripts

Color/508 Compliant

Black and White

Hours of Service Live Question and Answer Session

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) hour-long Hours of Service (HOS) Question and Answer Session allowed participants the opportunity to submit HOS related questions and have them answered by FMCSA’s HOS subject matter experts Tom Yager, Chief of the Driver and Carrier Operations Division, and Peter Chandler, Lead Transportation Specialist in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Passenger Carrier Division.
The HOS Question and Answer session addressed the number hours that a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver may be on the road, the HOS exemptions, and the number of hours a CMV driver may be on duty before a required period of rest.  In addition, the session addressed the permitted driving time based on a driver’s on-duty hours in a “work-week”.
"Hours of Service Live Question and Answer" Session transcripts

Updated: Thursday, May 31, 2018