The four clocks (property-carrying drivers)
| Rule | Limit | Resets when |
|---|---|---|
| Driving limit | 11 hours of driving | After 10 consecutive hours off duty |
| Duty window | 14 consecutive hours after coming on duty | After 10 consecutive hours off duty |
| Break | 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving | Break can be off-duty, sleeper or on-duty not driving |
| Weekly | 60 hours / 7 days or 70 hours / 8 days | 34 consecutive hours off duty (optional restart) |
Exceptions worth knowing
- Short-haul exception (395.1(e)): within 150 air-miles, 14-hour duty limit, return to the same work reporting location — no ELD and no RODS required if time records are kept.
- Adverse driving conditions: up to 2 extra hours of driving and 2 extra hours on the 14-hour window when conditions were not known in advance.
- Sleeper berth split: pair an 8/2 or 7/3 split; neither period counts against the 14-hour window when paired correctly.
- 16-hour 'big day' exception once per 34-hour restart for short-haul CDL drivers.
ELD requirements
Most interstate drivers required to keep records of duty status must use a registered ELD. Check the device is on FMCSA's registered list — self-certified devices get removed and you inherit the problem.
- In-cab: ELD user manual, instruction sheet for data transfer, malfunction instruction sheet, and 8 days of blank paper logs.
- Malfunction rule: note it, reconstruct RODS on paper, and repair within 8 days.
- Edits: a driver must approve every carrier-suggested edit. Never edit a driver's log yourself without consent — that is a falsification finding.
- Exemptions: pre-2000 engine vehicles, driveaway-towaway, short-haul under 150 air-miles, and drivers who keep RODS 8 or fewer days in any 30-day period.
Supporting documents matter. Keep up to 8 per driver per day (BOLs, fuel receipts, dispatch records) for 6 months to back up the log.
Questions people ask
- Do I need an ELD for a box truck under 26,001 lbs?
- If the vehicle meets the commercial motor vehicle definition (10,001 lbs GVWR or more in interstate commerce) and the driver keeps RODS more than 8 days in 30, yes.
- How long do I keep logs?
- Six months, plus supporting documents. ELD data must be backed up on a separate device.