DOT Pilot Programs to Explore HOS Rest-Break Flexibility
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The U.S. Department of Transportation is reviving stalled pilot programs that will study the effects of allowing truck drivers to split the amount of time used for required rest breaks under federal hours-of-service rules.
The Split Duty Period and Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot programs were included in DOT’s so-called , which Duffy released in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at easing federal regulations in the trucking industry.
The concept behind the Split Duty project is to enable drivers to pause their 14-hour driving window for anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will assess data from this project to determine how this extra flexibility might effect safety. Currently, a commercial truck driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, and maximum of 10 hours after eight consecutive hours off duty. Drivers may not drive beyond 14 hours after10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period, FMCSA said on its website.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the launch of the pilot program from an event held at a New Jersey rest stop.
“Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, and we owe it to them to explore smarter, data-driven policies that make their jobs safer and more enjoyable,” Duffy said Sept. 15 during a visit with truckers at the Molly Pitcher service plaza in Cranbury along the New Jersey Turnpike. The date marked the start of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. “These pilot programs will help identify real solutions for America’s drivers without compromising safety,” Duffy said.
Great opportunity to kick off National Trucker Appreciation Week talking to drivers🇺🇸
A lot of good conversations about the serious issues our truckers face. is working hard to make sure our government works for the American trucking industry.
These drivers deliver for… — Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy)
The current sleeper berth provision allows cargo-hauling drivers to split their required 10-hour off-duty period as long as one off-duty period — whether in or out of the sleeper berth — is at least two hours long and the other involves at least seven consecutive hours spent in the sleeper berth.
The Flexible Sleeper Berth experiment would allow participating drivers to split their 10-hour off-duty period into different combinations.
We kicked off today with to thank truck drivers for the sacrifices they make and the essential work they do year-round.
Bernie Wanyo, a Captain of America’s Road Team with 1.8 million safe driving miles, presented Secretary Duffy with a Captain's… — American Trucking (@TRUCKINGdotORG)
“FMCSA will test the safety implications of allowing drivers to divide their 10-hour off-duty requirement into ‘6/4’ and ‘5/5’ split periods. The research will examine how these alternatives affect driver fatigue and overall safety performance in order to determine whether a wider range of rest options could benefit both drivers and the motoring public,” DOT said.
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The notion of studying adjustments to rest breaks stretches back years. A pilot program to study changes was first raised by FMCSA in 2013, followed in 2017 with a call for public comments also during the first Trump administration. An FMCSA request for information in 2019 generated nearly 2,780 comments. A second request in 2020 netted another 255 comments.
Joining Duffy at the event were , president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, Chris Lutick, acting executive director of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association, and NJMTA executive board members. Also on hand was UPS truck driver and Bernie Wanyo, who presented Duffy with a Captain’s Challenge coin for recent federal actions supporting truckers.
Details for both pilot programs are set to be developed by early next year. Some 500 truck drivers area expected to participate in both.
Trump’s Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers executive order signed in April directed DOT to “identify and begin carrying out additional administrative, regulator or enforcement actions to improve the working conditions of America’s truck drivers.”
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