Hours of Service and DOT Compliance Guides

Property-carrying drivers can drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window after 10 hours off, need a 30-minute break before 8 hours of driving, and are capped at 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8. These guides explain each rule with examples, plus the inspections and audits that check them.

Start with these guides and tools

• FMCSA hours-of-service rules chartEvery limit on one page
• Hours of service overviewPlain-language summary
• ELD violations and penaltiesWhat gets written up and what it costs
• What inspectors check on your ELDRoadside data transfer and logs
• DOT compliance for small fleetsThe recurring checklist
• Driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIR)Pre- and post-trip paperwork
• CSA scoresHow roadside results affect your record
• DOT drug testing consortiumTesting for owner-operators

Articles on this topic

• Split Sleeper Berth Rules Explained: 7/3 and 8/2 With Examples

  How the FMCSA split sleeper berth option works, which splits qualify, and how the 11- and 14-hour clocks are recalculated — with worked examples.

• Detention Pay in Trucking: How It Works and How to Get Paid

  What detention pay is, why it is a contract term rather than a federal rule, and a step-by-step way to document and claim it.

• 34-Hour Restart Rule Explained: How to Reset Your 60/70-Hour Clock

  What the 34-hour restart is, when it helps, and how it interacts with the 60/70-hour limit — with a week-long example.

• Pre-Trip Inspection Checklist for Truck Drivers (Printable Order)

  A practical pre-trip inspection checklist for CMV drivers, built on the items federal rules require you to check before driving.

• The Fleet Manager’s Guide to Bulletproof DQ Files

  The Fleet Manager’s Guide to Bulletproof DQ Files - Maintaining current Driver Qualification files is a non-negotiable federal requirement often overlooked until an audit occurs. - A missing signature

• Keeping Your Fleet Clean: A Practitioner’s Guide to Common HOS Violations

  Keeping Your Fleet Clean: A Practitioner’s Guide to Common HOS Violations - Most hours-of-service fines are preventable through proactive driver training and real-time log monitoring. - Form and manne

• Build a Bulletproof FMCSA Testing Program for Small Fleets

  Build a Bulletproof FMCSA Testing Program for Small Fleets - Compliance is not a one-time setup but a continuous cycle of record-keeping and reporting. - Small fleets are required by law to join a dru

• Winning the Inspection Blitz: A Tactical Guide to Roadcheck Prep

  Winning the Inspection Blitz: A Tactical Guide to Roadcheck Prep - Annual Roadcheck events prioritize specific mechanical systems, making targeted pre-inspections essential for survival. - Compliance

• The High Cost of Misunderstanding Personal Conveyance

  The High Cost of Misunderstanding Personal Conveyance - Personal conveyance is an off-duty status intended for personal travel, not a catch-all tool to bypass HOS limits. - The FMCSA does not set a sp

• Passing Your FMCSA Safety Management Control Audit Without the Panic

  Passing Your FMCSA Safety Management Control Audit Without the Panic - A safety management control audit is a systemic review of your business processes rather than a search for a single missing log.

• The Professional Standard for DOT Roadside Inspections

  The Professional Standard for DOT Roadside Inspections - Roadside inspections are an evaluation of a driver’s professionalism and organization as much as they are a mechanical check. - Officers look f

• How Small Fleets Survive the Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Crackdown

  How Small Fleets Survive the Federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Crackdown Key takeaways - Maintaining FMCSA clearinghouse requirements is no longer a paperwork exercise; it is a real-time digital

• Protecting Your CSA Score from Erroneous Roadside Inspections

  Protecting Your CSA Score from Erroneous Roadside Inspections - Improperly documented HOS violations and equipment malfunctions create a permanent drag on carrier safety profiles if left unchallenged.

• Survival Guide for the New Entrant Safety Audit

  Survival Guide for the New Entrant Safety Audit Key takeaways - The New Entrant Safety Audit happens within your first 12 months and is a "pass or fail" evaluation of your safety management controls.

• Prepare for DOT Audit: Essential Checklist for Small Fleets Using ELD & Telematics Data

  Prepare for DOT audit success with our essential DOT audit checklist! Learn how to leverage ELD data and telematics for FMCSA compliance and keep your fleet audit-ready year-round.