Federal law limits truck drivers to 11 hours of driving per day and 60 hours per week
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the rules that govern how long you can drive. These are called Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, and they explore to most commercial truck drivers in the United States. The basic limits are straightforward: you can drive a maximum of 11 hours after being off duty for 10 consecutive hours, and you cannot drive more than 60 hours in any seven-day period (or 70 hours in eight days if your company uses an eight-day cycle).
These rules exist because fatigue is a documented safety hazard. A driver who has been awake for 18 hours has reaction times similar to someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent. The FMCSA built these limits based on research about when driver performance declines, not on how much work a company wants to squeeze out of a shift.
The regulations also require a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving without one, and you must take a 10-hour off-duty period before you can drive again. These rules explore whether you are driving a tractor-trailer, a straight truck, or a smaller commercial vehicle—as long as the vehicle requires a commercial driver's license (CDL).
Key Takeaways
- You can drive 11 hours per day after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and no more than 60 hours in seven days under federal law.
- A 30-minute break is mandatory after 8 hours of driving, and you must be off duty for 10 hours before driving again.
- Your logbook (electronic or paper) is a legal record that FMCSA officers and company dispatchers use to verify you are following the rules.
- Some states have stricter rules than federal law, so your actual limits may be lower depending on where you drive.
- Violating HOS rules can result in fines for you and your employer, out-of-service orders, and a record on your safety file.
How the 11-hour driving window actually works
The 11-hour limit is not a continuous block. You can split your driving time throughout the day as long as you do not exceed 11 hours total between rest periods. For example, you could drive 6 hours in the morning, take a 2-hour break, then drive 5 more hours—that totals 11 hours of driving time with a break in between.
The clock resets only after you have been off duty for 10 consecutive hours. "Off duty" means you are not driving, not on call, and not performing other safety-sensitive work like loading, unloading, or vehicle inspection. Once those 10 hours are complete, your 11-hour driving window starts fresh. If you take a 9-hour break, you still have only 11 hours to drive before you must rest again.
Many drivers find the 30-minute break requirement catches them off guard. After 8 hours of driving (not 8 hours of being awake), you must take a break of at least 30 minutes. This break does not count toward your off-duty time, so if you drive 8 hours, take 30 minutes off, then drive 3 more hours, you have used 8.5 hours of your 11-hour window and still need 10 hours off before driving again.
The weekly 60-hour limit and how it resets
The 60-hour-in-seven-days rule means you cannot accumulate more than 60 hours of driving time in any rolling seven-day period. This is where many drivers and dispatchers get confused, because the seven days do not have to be a calendar week. It is a rolling window: if you drove 12 hours on Monday, that Monday counts toward your total for the next seven days, even if it is the following Monday.
Some companies use an eight-day cycle instead, which allows 70 hours in eight days. This is optional and must be chosen by the company, not the driver. If your company uses the eight-day cycle, you get more total hours per week, but you still cannot drive more than 11 hours in a single day.
Once you drop below 60 hours (or 70 hours in an eight-day cycle), you can start driving again. For example, if you drove 58 hours in the past seven days, you can drive 2 more hours before hitting the limit. After the oldest 2 hours of driving fall outside the seven-day window, you can drive another 2 hours. This rolling calculation is why electronic logbooks are standard now—they calculate it automatically, whereas paper logs require manual tracking.
What counts as driving time versus other work
Only time spent actually operating the vehicle counts toward your 11-hour daily limit and your 60-hour weekly limit. Sitting in traffic counts. Idling at a loading dock counts. Waiting at a weigh station counts. Any time your hands are on the wheel and the vehicle is moving (or you are controlling it) is driving time.
Time spent loading, unloading, fueling, performing vehicle inspections, or waiting for cargo does not count as driving time, but it does count as on-duty time. On-duty time is tracked separately and affects your overall work hours, but it does not reduce your available driving time. You could be on duty for 14 hours in a day (driving 11 hours plus 3 hours of other work), and that is legal.
Sleeper berth time is different. If you are in a sleeper berth (the bunk in a tractor), you are off duty and the time does not count against any limit. Many long-haul drivers use sleeper berth time strategically: they might drive 5 hours, take a 7-hour sleeper berth break, then drive another 6 hours, because the sleeper time resets their clock.
Electronic logbooks versus paper logs
Since December 2017, the FMCSA has required most truck drivers to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) instead of paper logbooks. An ELD automatically records when the vehicle is moving and calculates your hours in real time. It syncs with the engine and GPS, so you cannot manually adjust the time or claim you were off duty when the truck was running.
Paper logs are still allowed for drivers of vehicles manufactured before 2000, for certain short-haul operations, and for a small number of other exemptions. However, if your truck has an engine from 2000 or later, you must use an ELD. Your company provides the device and the software, and you log in with your driver ID and password.
The ELD shows your hours to any FMCSA officer who pulls you over, and your company dispatcher can see your status in real time. This transparency is why violations are harder to hide now. If you are off by even 15 minutes on your hours, an officer can see it during an inspection. Many drivers appreciate the ELD because it removes ambiguity—the device decides what counts as driving time, not a conversation with a dispatcher.
State-specific rules that may be stricter than federal law
Some states impose their own HOS rules that are stricter than federal limits. For example, certain states require shorter driving windows or longer rest periods for drivers operating within state lines only. If you drive entirely within one state, you may be subject to that state's rules instead of federal rules, or you may have to follow whichever is stricter.
California, for instance, has specific rules for agricultural transport and certain other operations. New York has regulations for drivers in certain industries. If you are based in or regularly drive through a state with its own HOS rules, you need to know them. Your company's dispatch team should inform you, but it is your responsibility to verify. The FMCSA website lists state-specific rules, and your state's Department of Transportation also publishes them.
When federal and state rules conflict, you follow the stricter one. If federal law says you can drive 11 hours but your state says 10, you drive 10. This is one reason why some regional drivers have different limits than long-haul drivers who cross state lines.
Violations, penalties, and what happens during an inspection
FMCSA officers conduct roadside inspections and can check your logbook (electronic or paper) at any time. If your hours are out of compliance, the officer can place you out of service when ready, meaning you cannot drive until you have rested enough to be legal again. This is not a fine—it is a safety stop. You sit until you are compliant.
Violations also go on your safety record, which affects your company's safety rating and your own driving record. Repeated violations can lead to fines for both you and your employer, and they can make it harder to find work with another company. Some violations are more serious than others: driving 12 hours instead of 11 is a violation, but it is less severe than falsifying a logbook, which is considered fraud.
Your employer can also face penalties if they knowingly allow drivers to violate HOS rules or if they pressure drivers to do so. Some companies have dispatch practices that make violations nearly impossible to avoid (like giving you a load that requires 13 hours of driving to deliver on time). If you are consistently asked to violate HOS rules, you have the right to refuse and to report it to the FMCSA or your state's labor board.
How fatigue affects your safety and your career
The HOS rules exist because tired drivers cause crashes. A driver who has been awake for 18 hours has impaired judgment, slower reaction times, and reduced awareness—the same effects as moderate alcohol impairment. Crashes caused by fatigue are often severe because the driver does not brake or swerve before impact.
Beyond safety, fatigue affects your health. Chronic sleep deprivation increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Many truck drivers struggle with sleep because of irregular schedules, sleeping in a moving truck, or stress. The HOS rules give you a legal framework to rest, but they work only if you actually use them. If you are driving the full 11 hours every day and sleeping only 7 hours per night, you are accumulating a sleep debt that will catch up with you.
Some drivers try to work around the rules by taking very short breaks or sleeping in their truck during on-duty time, thinking they can maximize earnings. This is counterproductive: you are more likely to make mistakes, get into an accident, or fail a safety inspection. A crash or a violation costs far more than the extra hours of pay would have earned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drive more than 11 hours if I have a break in between?
No. The 11-hour limit is per day, after a 10-hour off-duty period. A break does not reset the clock unless you are completely off duty for 10 consecutive hours. A 30-minute break is required after 8 hours of driving, but it does not extend your 11-hour window.
What happens if I go over my hours by 30 minutes?
You are out of service when ready. An FMCSA officer can pull you over and require you to stop driving until you have rested enough to be legal again. The violation also goes on your record. There is no grace period for HOS violations.
Do I have to use an electronic logbook?
Yes, unless your truck's engine was manufactured before 2000 or you may have access to for a specific exemption. Most drivers are required to use an ELD. Your company provides it, and it automatically records your driving time based on vehicle movement.
Can my company force me to drive more hours than the law allows?
No. It is illegal for a company to require, encourage, or coerce a driver to violate HOS rules. If your dispatcher regularly gives you loads that require illegal hours to deliver, you can report it to the FMCSA or refuse the load. Retaliation for refusing an illegal load is also against the law.
If I am off duty in a sleeper berth, does that time count toward my 10-hour rest?
Yes. Time in a sleeper berth counts as off-duty time and resets your driving clock. You can split your rest: for example, 5 hours in a sleeper berth plus 5 hours parked off duty equals 10 hours off, and you can drive again.