1. Hours of Service Regulations
Customer Training Topic
Ryder Fleet Risk Services

2. What Are the Hours-of-Service Regulations?
Hours-of-Service regulations are found in Part 395 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
The primary reason for hours- of-service regulations is safety. The goal of the regulations is to keep fatigued drivers off the road.
The regulations impose limits for when and how long a driver may drive.

3. Who Must Comply With the Hours-of-Service Regulations?
Motor Carrier and drivers of commercial motor vehicles are subject to the hours-of-service regulations.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations apply to motor carriers operating in interstate commerce.
States may impose similar hours- of service-regulations for intrastate operations

4. Definitions
Interstate - means goods have or will travel into or through another State or country. Even if your truck does not leave your State.
Intrastate - means goods and services stay within a single State.
On Duty Time - includes all time you are working or are required to be ready to work, for any employer.
Off Duty Time - only includes time when a driver is relieved of all duty and responsibility for performing work.
Adverse Driving Conditions - are considered to be unexpected adverse driving conditions that slow you down.
Driver’s Daily Log - is a written or electronic record to track the time a driver is driving, on-duty not driving, in a sleeper berth, or off duty.

5. Maximum Duty Limits
Hours-of service regulations focus on when and how long a driver is allowed to drive by placing specific limits on the amount of time a driver drives a commercial motor vehicle and how many total hours can be worked before the driver is no longer permitted to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
The three maximum duty limits are;
14 hour duty limit;
11 hour driving limit;
60/70 hour duty limit.

6. 60/70 Hour Duty Limit
The limits are based on a 7- day or 8-day rolling period, not a set week, starting at a time specified by the motor carrier for the start of a 24-hour period.
If the motor carrier does not operate vehicles every day of the week, drivers must follow the 60-hours in 7-days rule.
If the motor carrier does operate every day of the week, drivers may follow either the 60-hour 7-day rule or the 70-hour 8-day rule.

7. 34 Hour Restart
Regulations allow a driver to “restart” their 60 or 70-hour clock calculations.
After at least 34 consecutive hours off duty a driver will have the full 60 or 70 hours available again.
A motor carrier may not require a driver to use the 34 hour restart rule. It is optional.

8. Short Haul Exceptions – 150 Air Mile Driver
If an operator drives short distances in a vehicle that does not require a commercial driver’s license (CDL), the driver maybe able to use the non-CDL short- haul exception.
A driver can only use this exception if they:
Drive a vehicle that does not require a CDL; and
Operates within a 150 air-mile radius of normal work reporting location
These criteria must also be met to use the non-CDL short-haul exception:
Driver must not drive for more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty
Driver must not drive past the 14th hour after coming on duty 5 days in any period of 7 consecutive days
Driver must not drive past the 16th hour after coming on duty 2 days in any period of 7 consecutive days
Driver must not drive after being on duty 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days (unless the driver took 34 consecutive hours off to restart a 7/8-day period)
Log books are not required, but time records must be kept for 6 months

9. Short Haul Exceptions – 100 Air Mile Driver
If an operator drives short distances in a truck that requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL), the driver may be able to make use of the 100 air mile short-haul exception.
These criteria must be met to use the exception:
Drivers must operate within a 100 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location;
Drivers must start and return to the same work location and be released from duty within a 12 hour period
Drivers must not exceed 11 hours of driving time in a 12 hour work period;
Drivers are required to have 10 consecutive off-duty hours between each 12 hour work period; and
Driver must not drive after being on duty 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in any 8 consecutive days (unless the driver took 34 consecutive hours off to restart a 7/8-day period)
Log books are not required, but time records must be kept for 6 months

10. Short Haul Exceptions – 16 Hour Exception
If a driver returns to the work-reporting location and then goes home at the end of the workday, he or she may be able to use the 16-hour short-haul exception.
This exception allows you to extend the 14-consecutive-hour duty period once every 7 consecutive days.
In order to use this exception, the driver must do the following:
Return to the work reporting location each day
Be released from duty within 16 hours after coming on duty.
Must only use this exception once every 7 consecutive days (unless the driver took 34 consecutive hours off to restart a 7/8-day period).

11. Sleeper Berth Provisions
Drivers may use an approved sleeper berth outlined in § to get their required off-duty time.
Driver’s may spend time in the sleeper berth to get some, or all, of the 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time.
Driver’s may use the sleeper berth to extend the 14-hour duty limit.

12. Sleeper Berth Provisions
Drivers may use an approved sleeper berth outlined in § to get their required off-duty time.
Driver’s may use the sleeper berth in a different way to get the “equivalent of at least 10 consecutive hours off duty.”
One rest period must be no less than 8 hours and no more than 10.
A second rest period must be at least 2 hours and no more than 10 hours.
It does not matter which rest period the driver takes first.
Rest periods may be spent in sleeper berth, off duty, or a combination (it will count as part of the 14 hour duty limit unless the driver spends at least 8 hours in the sleeper berth)

13. Record Keeping
Driver’s Daily Log - is a written or electronic record to track the time a driver is driving, on-duty not driving, in a sleeper berth, or off duty.
Drivers must account for every day on their logs, even the days they are off duty. The log must cover all 24 hours of each day
Logs must include the 24-hour graph grid, shown in §395.8, and contain specific information on each page.
Date
Total miles driving today
Truck or tractor and trailer number
Name of the carrier
Drivers signature in full
24-hour period starting time
Main office address
Remarks
Name of co-driver if applicable
Total hours
Shipping document number/name of shipper

14. Out of Service Drivers
Drivers can be placed out-of- service for a number of reasons
Exceeding maximum driving time.
Exceeding maximum on duty status
Failing to have a log book
Failing to keep their log book current
Motor carriers have a duty to not require or permit a driver who has been placed out-of-service to drive.
Fines can be stiff for willful violations of the hours-of-service regulations.

15. Questions and Comments

16. Additional Information - Ryder Safety Services
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Fleet safety equipment
Compliance support services
Driver Qualification Files
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Log Auditing
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JJ Keller
ProTread – On-line Driver Training
And Much More!

17. Additional Information on Rules and Regulations
This document is intended to be a guide on applicable rules and regulations. Although it may be used as a guide/reference for your training needs, this document is not intended to be used as the standard for FMCSA rules and regulations.
Additional information can be found on the FMCSA website.
The FMCSA website will contain the most accurate and up- to-date information on any and all applicable rules and regulations.