Hours of Service

In the interest of preventing fatigue-related accidents, the hours-of-service regulations place restrictions on when and for how long drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) may be behind the wheel. Violations can be costly, and change has been a constant with these complex regulations, including significant revisions in 2020. It’s vitally important to stay on top of HOS compliance at all times.

To track their hours of service most interstate CMV drivers are required to use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in place of paper logs, (although backup paper logs are still required). These devices automatically record driving time and certain other data and facilitate the completion of logs. Canada has also adopted ELD rules to be enforced beginning in 2023, with standards similar to those in the U.S.

As a top supplier of ELDs, log books, training materials, and log auditing solutions, J. J. Keller can help you comply with HOS regulations and keep your CSA scores low. We also offer Canada-specific log books and training that addresses Canadian hours-of-service regulations, as well as logs for oilfield operations and time records for short-haul drivers.

What are the basic hours-of-service rules for commercial drivers?

For truck drivers: After 10 hours off duty, the driver of a property-carrying vehicle may drive for up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window of time, must take a 30-minute interruption in driving before doing more than 8 hours of driving, and must stop driving after accumulating 60 or 70 on-duty hours in 7 or 8 days.

For bus drivers: After 8 hours off duty, the driver of a passenger-carrying vehicle may drive for up to 10 hours within the first 15 on-duty hours of the day, and must stop driving after accumulating 60 or 70 on-duty hours in 7 or 8 days.