70-Hour / 60-Hour Rule

Definition

The 70-hour and 60-hour rules under 49 CFR §395.3(b) cap the on-duty time a property-carrying CMV driver may accumulate over a rolling period - 60 hours in 7 consecutive days for carriers operating less than 7 days a week, or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days for carriers operating every day. The driver may "restart" the clock with 34 consecutive hours off duty under §395.3(c). A pattern of bumping the 70-hour ceiling without taking the restart triggers HOS Compliance BASIC violations during roadside inspections. Carriers should track the rolling-day total in dispatch software so loads aren't accepted that the driver cannot legally complete.