Property-carrying hours of service: daily limits, breaks and cycle

Short answer

Under the general federal property-carrying rules, after 10 consecutive hours off duty a driver may drive up to 11 hours within the next 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty. A 30-minute interruption is needed before driving beyond 8 cumulative driving hours without one. The rolling 60/70-hour on-duty limits also apply.

Limits and exceptions

• The break may be off duty, sleeper berth, on-duty, not-driving time, or a consecutive combination. Unloading can satisfy it if there are 30 consecutive minutes without driving.

• Ordinary off-duty time does not pause or extend the 14-hour driving window. The window limits driving, not all work after its end.

• No driving after 60 on-duty hours in 7 consecutive days for a carrier that does not operate every day, or 70 in 8 days for one that does. A property-carrying driver may restart the cycle after at least 34 consecutive hours off duty.

• Drivers qualifying for either short-haul exception in 49 CFR 395.1(e) are excepted from the 30-minute break. Split-sleeper, adverse-driving and other exceptions have separate conditions in 49 CFR 395.1. Passenger-carrying and state-only operations need their own rules.

What to check

Check daily driving, the ordinary 14-hour window and the rolling on-duty cycle separately. This overview does not calculate remaining time from a driver's log.