On September 29, 2020, new hours of service (HOS) regulations will go into effect. The revision was designed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) to provide greater flexibility for drivers without changing driving time.

What do these changes mean for our Drivers?

1.  A 30-minute break is now required after 8 hours of driving time (not on-duty time). This will allow any on-duty/non-driving time to qualify as a break.  IMPACT: This revision increases on-duty/non-driving time by up-to 30 minutes, or allows drivers to reach their destination earlier.

2.  In adverse driving conditions, a driver may extend the maximum “driving window” by up to 2 additional hours.  IMPACT: This revision allows drivers to shift driving hours, slow down or wait out adverse conditions.

3.  For drivers using the short haul exception, the maximum duty period has been extended to 14 hours and the maximum radius has been extended to 150 air-miles.  IMPACT: More drivers will be able to take advantage of the short haul exception.  May shift work and drive time from long-haul to short-haul exception.

4.  Drivers are able to take their 10 hours off-duty in two periods; one period is at least 2 hours long (in or out of the sleeper berth) and the other is at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.  IMPACT: This allows one hour to be shifted from the longer rest period to the shorter rest period. Total hours driven would not change.

Contact your Driver Manager or the Safety team with any questions on these changes.