Hours of Service regulations are the legal framework that governs transit time on all commercial freight moves in the United States. They exist because fatigued driving is a major cause of large truck crashes. Understanding HOS is essential for anyone who plans freight shipments and sets delivery expectations.
The core HOS rules for property-carrying drivers are: 11-hour driving limit (a driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after taking 10 consecutive hours off duty); 14-hour on-duty limit (a driver may not drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty, even if they haven't driven 11 hours); 10-hour off-duty requirement (10 consecutive hours off duty to reset the 11-hour and 14-hour clocks); and the 60/70-hour limit (drivers may not drive after being on duty more than 60 hours in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days — the weekly limit is reset by a 34-hour restart).
The 30-minute break rule was revised in 2020: drivers must take a 30-minute off-duty or sleeper berth break after 8 hours of driving, though they can perform other on-duty tasks during that break without it counting against the 8-hour window.
For transit planning, the practical implication is simple: a single driver running full legal hours can cover approximately 450 to 550 miles per day (11 hours × 50 mph average speed). Shipments over 550 miles typically require two days of transit for a single driver. Longer lanes may use team drivers, who split driving and rest time to move freight around the clock.
HOS violations are a serious legal matter. Drivers who falsify logs face civil penalties; carriers with systemic violations face safety rating downgrades and can lose their operating authority.