FMCSA Updated Hours of Service (HOS) Rules

The FMCSA has changed some of the rules within the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations which took effect yesterday, September 29, 2020.

“FMCSA wants drivers and all CMV stakeholders to share their thoughts and opinions on the proposed changes to hours of service rules that we are putting forward today,” said FMCSA Administrator Raymond P. Martinez, who spoke with reporters on a conference call Wednesday morning. “We listened directly to the concerns of drivers for rules that are safer and have more flexibility—and we have acted. We encourage everyone to review and comment on this proposal.”

FMCSA’s newly proposed HOS rule offers a couple of revisions to the existing HOS rules, which Martinez said are based on extensive public comments shared with the agency since last year.

Here are the key changes which are important to note:

• Increase in short-haul radius to 150 air-miles no matter the size of the vehicle
• Short-haul drive time has been extended from 12 to 14 hours.
• Extension of the driving window by up to 2 hours for adverse conditions
• 30-minute break can be taken in “On Duty, Not Driving” status
• 30 consecutive minute break must be taken after driving eight hours
• Split sleeper can now be taken within a minimum of 7 hours in sleeper berth. The remainder of the 10 hours can be taken in “Off Duty” status and must be consecutive in nature. Neither period will count against the 14-hour driving window when utilized properly.

In line with the above, an update to Trucker Path’s ELD Pro has also been rolled out. We urge all Trucker Path ELD Pro users to update their application in either Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to take advantage of the new rules.

By Trucker Path