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60/70-Hour Rule Guide

Which weekly on-duty cycle applies — 60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day — how the carrier determines the correct schedule, and how the 34-hour restart interacts with each limit.

Quick Answer

Property-carrying CMV drivers may not drive after reaching 60 on-duty hours in any 7 consecutive days (for carriers not operating every day) or 70 on-duty hours in any 8 consecutive days (for carriers operating 7 days a week) — the weekly limit resets only after a 34-hour restart or sufficient consecutive off-duty time.

ELD and HOS topics should be read with the related driver, carrier, and rule-specific pages. ELD Guide, Hours of Service, ELD Malfunction.

Who This Applies To

Property-carrying CMV drivers who need to understand how the weekly on-duty hour limit works and how to track it.
Dispatchers scheduling drivers across a 7-day or 8-day work week and building load plans around the weekly limit.
Carriers whose drivers are approaching the weekly limit and who need to understand whether a restart or continued accumulation is the right approach.
Drivers who received a citation for exceeding the weekly limit and need to understand what the rule requires.

What To Verify

That the 60-hour/7-day rule applies to carriers that do not operate commercial motor vehicles every day of the week, and the 70-hour/8-day rule applies to carriers that do operate every day. The carrier's operating pattern determines which cycle applies — verify which cycle the specific carrier uses.
That the weekly limit counts all on-duty time, not just driving time. A driver who spent 8 hours on duty (including pre-trip, post-trip, waiting time, and driving) accumulates 8 hours against the weekly limit.
How the rolling window works. The 7-day or 8-day window is rolling, not calendar-based. The driver's available hours at any point equal the weekly cap minus the total on-duty hours from the last 7 (or 8) consecutive days.
That the 34-hour restart is available to reset the weekly counter. The restart requires 34 consecutive hours off duty.

Step-by-Step Overview

At the start of each shift, calculate on-duty hours from the last 7 (or 8) days. Subtract that total from the applicable weekly cap (60 or 70 hours) to determine available hours for the current day.
Track on-duty time throughout the shift — not just driving time. Pre-trip and post-trip inspections, loading and unloading time, and waiting time that is logged as on-duty all count toward the weekly limit.
When approaching the weekly limit, notify dispatch so loads can be planned around the remaining available hours. Operating at or near the limit requires careful coordination.
If the weekly limit is reached before the shift is complete, the driver must go off duty. Driving or remaining on duty after the limit is exceeded is an HOS violation.
If a 34-hour restart is planned, schedule it when the driver has enough upcoming load flexibility to absorb the 34-hour off-duty period.

Common Mistakes

Tracking only driving hours against the weekly limit. On-duty not-driving time also counts — a driver who drives 40 hours but spends 25 more hours on duty (not driving) has used 65 hours against the 70-hour cap.
Using the wrong cycle. Applying the 70-hour/8-day cycle when the carrier's operations require the 60-hour/7-day cycle means the driver may legally reach a limit 10 hours earlier than expected.
Treating the 7-day or 8-day window as a calendar week. The window is rolling — the oldest day drops off each day, which means available hours shift daily based on what was logged 7 (or 8) days ago.
Not planning for the 34-hour restart period. A restart requires 34 consecutive off-duty hours — dispatching loads that require on-duty time before 34 hours are complete voids the restart.

Official Sources

Summary of Hours of Service Regulations Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · federal-government · accessed 2026-05-06
Use for HOS educational summaries with eCFR cross-reference.
49 CFR Part 395 - Hours of Service of Drivers Electronic Code of Federal Regulations · regulation · accessed 2026-05-06
Use as the primary regulatory reference for HOS and ELD pages.

ELD Guide

ELD device requirements under 49 CFR Part 395: what makes a device FMCSA-compliant, where to find the registered device list at eld.fmcsa.dot.gov, and why only the listed identifier controls.

Hours of Service Guide

FMCSA Hours of Service regulations for property-carrying and passenger-carrying CMV operations: driving limits, on-duty windows, off-duty requirements, and weekly on-duty caps.

ELD Malfunction Guide

ELD malfunction response steps for drivers and carriers, including paper logs, notification timing, repair windows, and records.

FAQ

How do I know whether the 60-hour or 70-hour limit applies to my operation?

The 60-hour/7-day limit applies to carriers that do not operate every day of the week. The 70-hour/8-day limit applies to carriers that operate every day of the week. The carrier determines which cycle applies and communicates it to drivers — verify with your carrier which schedule is in use and confirm it matches FMCSA requirements for your operation.

What categories of time count toward the 60/70-hour weekly on-duty total?

All on-duty time counts — driving, pre- and post-trip inspections, loading or unloading, attending to the vehicle, waiting at a shipper, and any other work-related activity. Only time logged as off-duty or sleeper berth does not count toward the weekly total.

Can a carrier switch a driver from the 60-hour to the 70-hour cycle mid-week?

The carrier establishes the applicable cycle for each driver. A mid-week cycle change would affect how remaining on-duty hours are calculated. Consult FMCSA and eCFR Part 395 on the conditions for cycle changes — inconsistent or undocumented cycle assignments create audit exposure for both the carrier and the driver.